Elliott Whitehead has laughed off Piers Morgan after the TV star slammed him for his try celebration mocking England’s controversial Ashes defeat insisting: “It was a bit of fun for charity.”
The England second-row took part in the joke celebration with his Canberra team-mates after they scored their opening try in today’s win over St George Illawarra.
Whitehead re-enacted fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping dismissal in the second Test when Raiders’ Jordan Rapana ‘bowled’ a rugby league ball at him and he’s ‘stumped’ by Zac Woolford.
All the Canberra players celebrate, just as the Aussies did in Bairstow’s much-debated dismissal last week, and the clip has gone viral.
But Morgan was fuming as he Tweeted: "Just found out the batsman in this shameful spirit-of-the-game mocking stunt is not only ENGLISH, but a YORKSHIREMAN. What on earth are you doing Elliott Whitehead? Are you a closet Australian."
Not only is Whitehead a Yorkshireman like Bairstow but he is also the same age - 33 and hails from the same city: Bradford.
Some people have criticised him for his actions with the third Test also currently delicately balanced at Headingley.
But in an exclusive interview with Mirror Sport, Whitehead laughed off Morgan’s tirade as he explained the reasons behind the celebration.
The ex-Bradford and Catalans star said “I had a few bets with a few of the boys over the Ashes. And after Jonny was out last week, they said if we (England) end up losing the Test, let’s do that for our celebration.
“It was all for a good cause in (ex-St Helens coach) Daniel Anderson who obviously has had an accident and is now paralysed.
“Try celebrations in the NRL this month are raising money for causes like that and that celebration gave five grand to him and his family. So it was just a bit of fun and something for a good cause.
“The boys all got around it - and it went down pretty well as I see Piers Morgan wasn’t too happy about it. At least he knows who I am now!
“I don’t really know Jonny. But there was nothing in it. It was just a bit of fun to help raise some money.”
And anyone who has seen hard-hitting Whitehead feature for England in 23 Tests appearances will know he’s a fiercely proud Englishman. He featured in last year’s World Cup and has been leading the England charge in the NRL for the last eight years since joining Canberra.
But he is worried the cricket could end up costing him.
Whitehead said: “I’m not massively into cricket. I watch the Ashes, obviously, and the Big Bash here when they slog it.
“But they do all love the Ashes and I’ve tried getting one up on some of the Canberra boys. I had a bet with three of them, including Zac Woolford and Jarrod Croker, that for every Test England won they’d owe me a case of beer and vice versa.
“So I’m six cases down now and if it ends up 5-0 it’s double so that will be 30! I’m struggling at the moment. I just hope it’s not a whitewash. Hopefully we can bounce back and get a win.
“But nobody could believe it after today’s game. In the sheds everyone was saying ‘Piers Morgan’s Tweeted about you!’ I was like ‘What….!?”
