Corey Horsburgh, a forward for the Canberra Raiders, seems poised to sign with the Perth Bears, although both he and head coach Ricky Stuart insist this decision is unrelated to last weekend's altercation.
Following last weekend's events, Horsburgh was left out of this weekend's match against the Sharks and is reportedly preparing to transition to the Perth Bears after the current season concludes.
While speculation arose that his omission resulted from tensions between him and Stuart, the head coach clarified on Friday that the decision was simply a matter of giving the prop a rest, as the Raiders' chances of reaching the finals are nearly extinguished.
"I decided to give him a rest. I spoke to Corey about that, and he was comfortable," Stuart explained regarding the forward's absence from this weekend's lineup.
Stuart further stated that he has not officially heard about Horsburgh's move to Perth, mentioning he learned about the rumor through media reports.
"I don't know. I keep hearing Perth, but I was talking to Corey yesterday and he hasn't mentioned anything to me. He doesn't need to. It's personal and something he has to work through," he remarked.
The head coach expressed that he has a good rapport with the prop, emphasizing that their communication remains strong.
"Corey knows that I like Corey. There is no one who could say that I dislike Corey, because I don't," Stuart affirmed.
He added, "I've worked with Corey for a long time. I can't probably strongly enough say that there is no ill feelings from myself. You'd have to ask Corey about that from his point of view, but I've been comfortable talking to Corey this week and explaining the situation."