Cronulla Sharks prop Royce Hunt has exploded at Canberra Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh during a media conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Echoing in the words of Ricky Stuart, who labelled Penrith Panthers player Jaeman Salmon a "weak gutted dog" last season, Hunt used the quip against Horsburgh when speaking to the media.
Hunt was sin-binned during the Sharks' loss to the Raiders for making contact with Horsburgh in an apparent punching action after the Raiders' forward appeared to hold up a scrum and pushed Hunt.
LATEST: Royce Hunt has branded Corey Horsburgh a “weak gutted dog” @9NewsSyd @NRLonNine @emmalawrence90 was at the media conference- full story tonight.
— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) March 22, 2023
The two teams face off again in Round 27 during what will be the final game of the season, and Hunt claimed to media including AAP that he will be out for retribution.
"We'll see if he fronts up," Hunt said.
"I have never seen a front-rower hide behind a halfback.
"As Ricky Stuart would say, he's a weak-gutted dog.
"We'll get him next game.
“I got sent for 10 and put the boys under pressure. I was upset at myself for getting sent for 10 and letting him get under my skin.”
Horsburgh has not often taken a backward step during his more than 60-game NRL career to date, with all but two of those coming for the Raiders, and hasn't been far away from controversy at times.
In 2020, Horsburgh raised his middle fingers to an empty stadium during the covid pandemic after twisting his knee, although his on-field discipline has improved enormously, only being charged once year by the match review committee for a high tackle in Round 25 and giving away less than ten penalties across the course of the season.
Hunt, despite not making a true impact on the NRL until the 2020 season when he was 24 years of age, has quickly become an integral part of the Sharks' engine room.
At 192 centimetres and 112 kilograms, he gives the Sharks a point of difference that, outside of Braden Hamlin-Uele, they sorely lack, and some of his performances at the back end of last year were a key part of the reason the black, white and blue finished in second spot on the table.
Hunt has played in two games so far this year, missing the season opener, but managing 27 minutes against the Raiders as he ran for 125 metres.
