Victor Radley breaks silence after investigation at Rugby League World Cup

Roosters hitman Victor Radley won't apologise for who he is but admits he needs to be smarter when out in public after escaping punishment for a pub incident following last year's World Cup. The NRL star, who represented England at the Cup, was the centre of a weeks-long investigation by the Rugby Football League after clashing with Ireland's James Bentley at a Manchester pub.

There were reports Radley headbutted Bentley while defending England coach Shaun Wane, but the RFL cleared him of any wrongdoing and the NRL's Integrity Unit did not step in. The fiery backrower acknowledges he needs to put some distance between himself and drama after a number of off-field incidents, but remains unrepentant about this latest controversy.

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"I don’t care what anyone thinks. I know I'm a good person but I shouldn't have ended up in that situation," he told Yahoo Sport Australia. "Getting into scraps is probably the wrong thing to do but shit happens and I just get on with it. I've got to do my best not to end up in those situations."

When it was suggested he might be an easy target for mugs on the drink, he replied: "Not really. I don't think it's about that. The truth came out (about Manchester) and the outcome was what I thought it should be.

"I rung who I needed to ring and they accepted what I said and that was the end of it. I've just got to make better choices in those situations but I won't be changing the type of person I am."

Victor Radley optimistic about key State of Origin shift

What might be changing – If NSW coach Brad Fittler has his way – is State of Origin eligibility rules. Freddy wants players from first-tier nations England and New Zealand to be eligible for Queensland or NSW if they lived in either state before the age of 13.

That would free the likes of Radley to play for the Blues and England. "That'd be awesome if they did change the rules. If they did that and I got the chance to represent NSW, I'd be over the moon," he said.

"Representing England wasn't anything against Origin. I love NSW so if I got the chance to play for them it would be awesome.I've still got to make their team even if they do change the rules and right now I've got no control over that, so I don't waste any energy on it."

Radley's Roosters will start the 2023 NRL season as one of the competition favourites – a strong team strengthened even further by the acquisition of Storm hardman Brandon Smith. Their premiership campaign gets underway against newcomers the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

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