Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo apologised to his forwards for a try scoring gaffe against the Bulldogs on Saturday night, but he knows they won’t let him to live it down easily at training this week.
“I will be the Derek of the week,” Mulitalo said. “The boys are going to give it to me on Monday, but I am prepared for that.”
The Kiwi international appeared to have scored his eighth try in seven matches this season when he dived over in the 74th minute, only for replays to show Mulitalo’s left hand had brushed the sideline.
Oh no, Ronaldo
The put down gaffe was the second try Mulitalo had bombed this season after Rabbitohs halfback Lachlan Ilias knocked the ball from his grasp in Cronulla's opening game.
“I tried to be too conservative,” Mulitalo said. “Lachlan Ilias is giving me nightmares about my put downs, so I gunned to the corner, I went hard, and I just wanted to make sure I got it down.
“Unfortunately, I had my hand out so maybe I need to back myself more and get into the in-goal, but I saved one and set up one up, so at the end of day I don’t feel too bad.”
A miraculous save from Ilias
The 23-year-old had earlier been responsible for a spectacular try by Cronulla five-eighth Matt Moylan as the visitors over-powered Canterbury 33-20 at Accor Stadium.
Yet Mulitalo still felt the need to apologise to team-mates and coach Craig Fitzgibbon for his error.
“I look at the big boys in the middle and think ‘I’ve cost us a seven-tackle set’. I feel sorry for them,” Mulitalo said.
I said ‘sorry boys, I’ll try to take a carry after this and help you out’.
"But the boys know what I am like, I put my heart into everything that I do and I want to get back on the horse so I am not rattled at all by it."
Moylan grabs a try
Mulitalo and hooker Blayke Brailey will this week dive with sharks to raise funds and awareness for Youth Homelessness Matters Day by facing their fears.
He is also campaigning for social media users to need identification to open accounts after being subjected to vile abuse from online trolls after matches.
“Everyone underestimates the community work and the time he spends promoting our game and helping people away from footy,” Fitzgibbon said. “His emotions boil over sometimes, but he is awesome.
“He walked straight in and said ‘sorry coach, I was too scared to not get it down in a hurry so I put the other hand down instead of the one with the ball’. But he finishes plenty of them too.”
Mulitalo saves a try from nowhere
The 2021 Ken Stephen Medal winner for services to the community, Mulitalo starred on the field last season by scoring 17 tries and making his Test debut for New Zealand against Tonga.
He represented the Kiwis at the Word Cup and was one of their best in the epic 16-14 semi-final loss to Australia at Elland Road, Leeds.
“Ronny is a special kid, he is a ball of energy and when he is that ball of energy playing for our team the boys love him,” Fitzgibbon said.
“He works hard, he is only 70-odd games deep in his career, but he is a good athlete, and he cares about the team. He is a good finisher, he usually nails those ones.”