NRL 2023: Canberra Raiders try celebration, St George Illawarra Dragons, Jordan Rapana, Ashes, Alex Carey

It’s clear the Raiders have been tuning into the action-packed Ashes series with the Canberra players paying homage to the Australian cricket team with a hilarious try celebration.

Raiders winger Jordan Rapana opened the scoring in his side’s clash against the Dragons, but the bigger highlight came moments later.

Rapana imitated a bowler with teammate and Englishman Elliott Whitehead playing the role of a batter.

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Much like the controversial stumping of England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s last week, Whitehead ducked Rapana’s delivery and left his ‘crease’.

Hooker Zac Woodford then did his best Alex Carey impression and threw it back at the cornerpost, running his captain out.

While the light-hearted celebration was clearly a joke, controversial TV host Piers Morgan didn’t see the fun side of it.

Morgan took aim at Whitehead, who was born and raised in the English county of Yorkshire, questioning if he was in fact Australian.

“Just found out the batsman in this shameful spirit-of-the-game mocking stunt is not only English, but a Yorkshireman,” Morgan tweeted.

“What on earth are you doing Elliott Whitehead? Are you a closet Australian?”

Woolford responded to the tweet by writing: “Why wouldn’t he want to be? Greatest country on earth”.

Elsewhere, the rugby league world erupted at Morgan’s reaction, slamming the outspoken Englishmen.

Whitehead has since responded to the criticism, revealing the celebration came about after a light-hearted bet within the Raiders squad.

Because England wlost the first game of the Ashes series after Bairstow’s controversial wicket, Whitehead was forced to take part in the hilarious post-try antics.

“I had a few bets with a few of the boys over the Ashes. And after Jonny was out last week, they said if we (England) end up losing the Test, let’s do that for our celebration,” Whitehead said to The Mirror.

“It was all for a good cause in (ex-St Helens coach) Daniel Anderson who obviously has had an accident and is now paralysed.

“Try celebrations in the NRL this month are raising money for causes like that and that celebration gave five grand to him and his family. So it was just a bit of fun and something for a good cause.

“The boys all got around it — and it went down pretty well as I see Piers Morgan wasn’t too happy about it. At least he knows who I am now!

“I don’t really know Jonny. But there was nothing in it. It was just a bit of fun to help raise some money.”

The reason for the celebration is due to Sportsbet’s annual campaign Try July, where the gambling company donates $5000 for each try celebration over the course of the month.

“Oh the stumping and the Pom is out,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox League.

“Sportsbet, and I can say this with authority, that’s worth more than $5000.”

This year’s funds will be donated towards the recovery efforts of Nathan Stapleton and Daniel Anderson.

Stapleton is a former NRL player who lost feeling below the neck after a country rugby league match in New South Wales.

Anderson was a coach for the Warriors and Eels between 2001 and 2010. He was involved in a body surfing accident on December 31, 2022.

It seemed as though Sportsbet agreed with the comments of Ginnane, with Yvonne Sampson revealing during the halftime show that the bookmaker will donate $10,000 for the celebration, double the usual amount.

The moment swiftly went viral online, while it was even shown during Sky Sports’ coverage of the Ashes by England great Michael Atherton.