A shaken but unharmed Billy Slater has described his involvement in a nightclub fight in Manchester as a wake-up call for Kangaroos players at the Rugby League World Cup.
Slater appeared in front of the media just hours after he was allegedly attacked while out celebrating with Australian team-mates.
The Melbourne Storm player was detained by police for several hours on Monday morning before being released without charge after they found he was acting in self-defence when exchanging punches with a 40-year-old man in a fight at about 2.40am.
"I've been better but I'm going OK thanks," Slater said, when asked how he was at the start of a six-minute press conference at the team hotel.
Slater, sporting no visible injuries related to the incident, refused to go into any detail about what happened before or during the fight, but confirmed the police's version of events were accurate.
He said while it was not common for players to be provoked by members of the public, the incident was a reminder to players about what can happen when they are out.
"I think we've got to be aware of the situations that we find ourselves in," Slater said. "I suppose it's probably a bit of a wake-up call for everyone when we do go out but I hope what happened last night doesn't jeopardise anyone else going out and having a good time."
Slater's wife Nicole made an emotional post on Instagram on Monday, saying the player could have been killed in the incident.
"If he had king hit him and killed him I would have to raise my two kids alone," she wrote.
Slater said his main priority since the incident was making sure his family knew he was OK.
"It's pretty tough on them being on the other side of the world and hearing stuff like this," he said.
The two-time international player of the year said he would not press charges and was disappointed the incident had taken the focus of Australia's unbeaten World Cup campaign.
The players were out celebrating a 50-0 win over Ireland in Limerick on Saturday, which secured their spot in the quarter-finals against the US this weekend.
"I'm disappointed that the spotlight is on this and not the tournament and the games we've played," Slater said. "I just want to express my disappointment there and move forward."
The incident comes after another Kangaroos player, Josh Papalii, was robbed on a night out last month, soon after the team had arrived in Manchester.
Kangaroos players do not have a curfew and Slater said he could understand there would be a perception from some people that they shouldn't have been going out during a campaign.
"But we're over here for eight weeks and it's important to enjoy and celebrate your wins. But obviously you'd like to stay away from these situations," Slater said.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed a man threw a punch at Slater following a "verbal altercation", before the NRL star retaliated.
"One of the men threw a punch at the other, so the victim retaliated and punched him back in self-defence," a police spokesman said.
It's understood the man turned on Slater when he was going back inside to retrieve his jacket.
Slater would not divulge where he was hit or whether he was with other players at the time of the incident.
"I'm not going go into the details and bring anyone else into this matter," Slater said. "I'll put my hand up for my own actions and face the music."
theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/12/billy-slater-says-nightclub-fight-a-wake-up-call
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/drunk-rugby-star-defecates-on-hotel-floor-1735027.html
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