Manly players have broken their silence after news emerged young gun playmaker Josh Schuster was involved in a training fight with a teammate.
According to The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, Schuster slapped NSW Cup player Dean Matterson behind the ears before the duo exchanged punches.
Sea Eagles players reportedly have a game in which players slap each other behind the head for getting a bad haircut, which was “a bit of fun that went wrong”.
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Head coach Anthony Seibold told News Corp the fight was a “non-event” and Josh Aloiai echoed his opinion.
“It was the most violent thing I’ve seen, there was blood everywhere,” Aloiai joked when speaking with the media on Monday.
“No you would love that wouldn’t you, sorry No Limit there is no fight to be matched there, it is no big deal really and you see it all the time.
“When there’s people there and Chinese whispers, things get worse and worse so it is just a bit of a laugh now really.”
Aloiai also explained that fights are bound to happen in a high-performance environment with athletes drilled to compete.
“It was something that happens pretty often, but a lot of the time there’s not someone there to kind of report on it,” Aloiai said.
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“The more people talk about it the bigger it gets, they add GST like the ATO so that’s pretty good.
“When you get 35 highly competitive men into an environment for 40 plus hours a week, things boil over sometimes.
“I’ve been involved, most boys have been involved in little bits and pieces along the time and usually you laugh about it and tease each other and that’s already what is happening… we’re all good.”
Both utility Karl Lawton and prop Taniela Paseka also believed the scuffle wasn’t a big deal and the pair weren’t on hand to watch is happen.
“I was having a massage, I had no idea about anything till after,” Lawton said.
“I can’t really comment about too much because I was having a massage and yeah I didn’t catch anything. It’s normal, I don’t think anything came of it… water under the bridge now I guess.”
“There was a barbecue so I was where the food was, I just heard them scuffling and it sort of went a bit too far and they kissed and hugged the day after,” Paseka said.
“That stuff happens… they made up and it is all good now.”
It has since been revealed former Manly Pathways Manager Kristie Fulton blasted Schuster on social media, saying “he needs to grow up”.
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“Too many enablers and excuse makers around him. It’s always everyone else’s fault,” she wrote.
Both Aloiai and winger Jason Saab weren’t aware of Fulton’s tirade, but went in to bat for their teammate who is currently sidelined to improve his fitness.
“I haven’t seen it, but what I will say is there’s a real clear plan about how we want to get him back to his best at the moment,” Aloiai said.
“As a young kid he couldn’t have more people that really care about him and are supporting him, so that’s the most positive thing.
“Very soon we will have Josh at his best because we need him and he’s helpful.”
“I’m not too sure what happened there or anything about that but what I do know about Schuey is he is a talented player and we are a better team when he is fit and playing,” Saab said.
“He is obviously going through a bit of adversity at the moment, I just think he needs to work hard and he knows that.
“Everyone has bashed him enough for it, he knows so he will be fine. He will train hard for the next few weeks and come back better.”
