Rugby league player Cooper Johns showcased his cheeky personality in Las Vegas, poking fun at a recent incident involving the Canberra Raiders. Armed with an inflatable baseball bat themed after The Simpsons, he jokingly quizzed Hudson Young, who was involved in a hotel lift altercation with teammate Morgan Smithies just days prior. This quirky media stunt took place as part of a promotion with Sportsbet, the NRL’s official gambling partner.
During a red-carpet media skit, Johns playfully swung the inflatable bat at Young, who tried to evade questions about the scuffle. “We’re not gonna ask you anything about the elevator stuff, all right?” Johns said with a grin, before immediately asking, “So who won in the elevator fight?” Young, maintaining his composure, dismissed the query with a smirk, saying, “Ah, I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate.”
While Johns found humour in the situation, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart appeared less amused by the antics. He remarked that everyone has their own style of journalism, shrugging off the incident’s significance. Stuart reassured that the scuffle wouldn’t disrupt the team’s preparations for their upcoming matches. “It’s been fine,” he stated, emphasising that the matter was trivial and had not affected their training or team morale.
In a lighter moment, the Raiders had initially hoped to have UFC boss Dana White blow their iconic viking horn ahead of their game against the Warriors, but this plan fell through. Instead, NFL star Tyler Manoa is set to take on that honour, as the Raiders aim to make a statement during their game on Sunday at the impressive Allegiant Stadium, with a seating capacity of 65,000.
Overall, while the inflatable bat and playful jabs created a buzz, the Raiders remain focused on their season, treating the lift incident as nothing more than a fleeting joke.