Leeds Rhinos scrum-half Aidan Sezer has backed Elliott Whitehead’s stumping celebration in the NRL and said: “It adds to the theatre!” England second-row Whitehead came in for criticism after replicating Jonny Bairstow’s controversial Ashes stumping after his Canberra side scored against St George-Illawarra on Friday.
The Bradford-born forward, 33, played the part of his fellow Yorkshireman as jubilant Raiders team-mates surrounded him to re-enact the dismissal. Some people have said Whitehead is taunting his own country as England continue to struggle in the series.
But Aussie star Sezer, who played alongside him at Canberra before moving to Super League, insisted: “I don’t know what all the conjecture’s about. It’s fine. And even the initial incident. Jonny tried to do it in the innings before and then the Aussies did it, it came off and everyone is up in arms.
