Cameraman appears to pause on Victor Radley to see if he knew the national anthem, he passed with flying colours
Victor Radley proved his doubters wrong by producing a Man of the Match performance in his debut for England at the rugby league World Cup.
But there was one particular moment from the game which seems to have caught people's attention.
As the Aussie-born player lined up for the national anthem ahead of England's opener against Samoa, the cameraman appeared to slightly pause on Radley to see whether he knew the lyrics to 'God Save The King'.
Knowing that the lens was fixed on him, Radley gave a little cheeky grin before continuing to belt out the song.
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Fox Sports presenter Niko Pajarillo tweeted: "The camo stopping to check Victor Radley knew the words to the national anthem was very cheeky.
"Credit to Victor - he knew every word."
The Sydney Roosters forward then went on to bag three try assists, three linebreak assists, 13 tackles and run for 72 metres.
“I am not sure how I got player of the match – I am a bit embarrassed,” Radley said post-match.
“Really, really stoked.”
England head coach Shaun Wane added: “There were other players who were really, really good.
“He can do a lot better Rads. He won’t mind me saying that. I know what he can do. Rads can play a mile better than that, no question.”
With NRL star Radley being born and bred in the heart of Sydney, his decision to jump ship to England has been a hot topic in the rugby league world.
For most, though, we haven't bat an eyelid.
While some, including English rugby league legend Garry Schofield, it appears they weren't too fond of the Aussie-born player lining up for a different nation.
“I wouldn’t have any Kiwis or Aussies anywhere near my dressing room,” Schofield told The Daily Telegraph.
“Radley was never near getting picked for Australia, that’s why he’s gone for England.”
Well, Radley put any doubt about his move to bed by producing a truly impressive performance, playing an instrumental roll in the 60-6 upset over Samoa.
Fair play to him.
Topics: Australia, England, Rugby League, NRL, Sydney Roosters
Max Sherry