‘Blues Legend Slams Aaron Woods as a Coward in Fiery Response to Slater Feud’

A former teammate of Aaron Woods from State of Origin has launched a scathing attack on the “coward” ex-Blues prop for “crossing a line” in his feud with Queensland coach Billy Slater.

Ryan Hoffman, who represented New South Wales in 14 Origins and had several years playing at Melbourne alongside Slater, did not hold back in his criticism of Woods during a passionate segment on ABC’s Offsiders program on Sunday.

Having played alongside Woods in the 2013, 2014, and 2015 series, Hoffman has little patience for Woods’ recent derogatory remarks, where he referred to Slater as a “grub” on radio two weeks ago.

Woods’ comments about the Maroons coach were met with a pointed response from Slater the following week, although Slater later issued an apology for mentioning the death of Paul Green during his press conference.

Hoffman stands firmly with Slater in this confrontation.

“Aaron Woods absolutely crossed the line,” Hoffman stated on Offsiders.

“If he wanted to make a legitimate point about Billy Slater’s strategies or selections, that would be acceptable.

“However, to simply label someone a grub and belittle them like that, especially someone (Woods) knows personally—someone he even had his son meet for a photo—is just wrong. To do that for the sake of adding drama to Origin is simply absurd.

“The media coverage during this Origin period is nothing short of brutal. Both sides are complicit, and they sensationalise stories for headlines to create an artificial sense of rivalry.

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“There was ample discussion points in these games without resorting to outlandish comments… the media needs to lift its game during Origin.

“All this does is grant others the platform to voice such comments under the guise of banter—but where do we draw the line? Is calling someone a grub crossing the line, or is it more severe? Are sexist, racist remarks permissible?

“Making such outrageous remarks permits others to express their opinions toward whomever they choose without facing any consequences.

“Aaron Woods acted cowardly by hiding behind a microphone and launching those comments. In contrast, Billy Slater demonstrated bravery… he made an error and apologised to the Green family, yet he took responsibility every single time.”

After Woods’ initial comments directed at Slater on Triple M, Hoffman took to Instagram to share his disappointment.

“I understand it’s Origin and as a Blue, we despise QLD, but Woodsy’s take is just rubbish,” Hoffman expressed.

“Referencing an incident from five years before Woodsy even debuted in the NRL is absurd. If he wants to carve out a career in the media by making foolish comments, it’s going to be a disappointing journey.

“Bill has earned respect and admiration in the media without ever resorting to calling someone a grub or challenging their character. As a former player, he ought to know better.”

Hoffman celebrated an NRL premiership with Slater at the Storm in 2012 and played a total of 325 NRL matches between Melbourne and the Warriors before retiring in 2018.