Fair comment, but I think the point still stands

Ah yes, one bloke gets into a scuffle with a few wannabes, probably trying to incite the situation, and one bloke can’t even be bothered to go to training the next day after a boozing session.

I can see the parallels.

Personally if I was an Aussie supporter, I wouldn't be over the moon to learn players are out to the early hours drinking. However if there is no drinking ban, no curfew and no charge, its story over. I'm taking it from this thread that the first two surprising (for me anyway) facts are correct.

Considering how many representative trophies he's won if he was English I'd say he could do what he liked.

Gareth hock and the rest have won f' all in an England or GB shirt

Was the aggressor a Midget?
Slater is not big in anyone's imagination.
He is 5ft 10 inches
195Lbs

There are hundreds of Irish males residing in Greater Manchester. So the chances of it having been an Irish male are not nonexistent.

On the other hand it could have been an Englishman, or even a German, with Irish sympathies. I am not going to be categorical on this because I was not there (I had another engagement). But it is worth noting that Australia showed no mercy to the Irish in the game at Thormond Park. And the Irish, or those with Irish sympathies, residing in Manchester, would not have been exactly chuffed with the result.

Seems the aussie coach as no control over his players,out boozing in the early hours of a world cup

Lets hope they continue getting popped up before every match

Hahaha WELL SAID

Maybe, maybe not, but what we can be sure of is that it wasn't a French male....if it had have been, he would have assaulted Slater with his white flag!

I met several of the Aussie squad in Manchester Walkabout the night before the Aus 2nd-string played Wales in the 2011 Four Nations.

A certain legendary Aussie captain could barely walk or speak and was sent back to the hotel in a cab, a certain man-mountain of a player who took Westwood's head off was enthusiastically sampling the local female talent at the bar (he also set a new record of the punch machine), and a certain ex-Saints halfback now coaching with Samoa was in attendance, as well as others.

The Aussies always make a bee-line for the Manchester nightlife when over here, and always end up in Walkabout. They're not shy of the booze.

I think drinking during a tournament of this standing is incredibly unprofessional.

Go out and celebrate after winning it.

They don't have to take it seriously till after the quarters.

Depends if you drink 10 pints or just a couple of beers and enjoy the evening relaxing having soft drinks, it is possible you know, some people do actually have the ability to not get sh/t faced

Has anyone actually seen the footage yet? They have shown it on the news here. Looks pretty much like what they have been saying. You can see him get punched first. Obviously we don't know what happened before that though.

I understand what some people are saying about these nights out, but where has been said that he was blind drunk? I'm not saying I necessarily agree with these players going out like this but you can understand why. After a long season you are then away from your family for 7-8 weeks on the other side of the world. Are you suppose to not have any nights out?