Rugby League World Cup organisers are wiping their hands of the bust-up involving England hard nut Victor Radley and Ireland firebrand James Bentley.
But the NRL remains determined to get to the bottom of the incident that occurred at an old English pub, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
In another twist to the story, The Sydney Morning Herald says the Rugby Football League is privately telling people that Radley didn’t headbutt Bentley and instead acted in defence, punching him after he was headbutted by the Super League utility forward.
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The original story was that Radley headbutted a drunk Bentley in defence of England coach Shaun Wane.
Regardless, International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant distanced himself from the matter on the basis that England’s World Cup campaign had ended before the altercation took place.
“There’s no disciplinary action available to us in the circumstances, nor are we looking to proceed with any investigation,” Grant told 9News.
“The matter is in the hands of the other authorities.”
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and NRL head of integrity Jason King emailed World Cup bosses for a breakdown of the events near the England team hotel in the town of Worsley.
New Zealand fullback Joseph Manu, a teammate of Radley at the Roosters, backed the tough lock.
“He’s a passionate guy, so if something’s not being done right or someone’s crossing the line, I think he’s definitely going to stand up for his mate or someone he really likes,” Manu said.
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