7th Tackle Awards: Best blow-up
Winner: Willie Peters
Everyone’s got a breaking point. There are only so many times you can be taunted with dwarf pictures or footballs booted at your head during training.
According to Manly insiders, Willie Peters had been on the verge of detonating all season. A full day on the drink with his antagonist – conditioning coach Dan Ferris – was all that the tinderbox needed to explode.
Tired and emotional, the pair came to blows in The Rocks. The much bigger – and younger – Ferris found out a thing or two about short people during the exchange. They might be short on stature, but not power.
The big fella was spotted getting around the Northern Beaches a few days later looking well worse for wear.
MORE 7th TACKLE AWARDS:
Honourable mention: Dylan Walker
Is he a distant relative of Eddie Murphy? How good is his trash talk!
Walker first showed a talent for verbal jousting in Canberra during Manly’s golden-point win. Raiders players lined up to sledge him as he prepared to take the winning conversion.
But Walker went to another level when Manly played Penrith back-to-back earlier this month. Panthers players sought him out and the fireworks were memorable.