NFL legend Rob Gronkowski has been shown rugby league for the first time and the four-time Super Bowl champion was left stunned.
Gronkowski commentated a series of NRL highlights from last season after introducing the segment as “the closest thing to football, but without pads”.
The first clip showed former Storm centre Justin Olam being crunched by Sea Eagles enforcer Haumole Olakau’atu.
“Oh he just got double trucked, I don’t think I would ever do that without pads,” Gronkowski said.
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Next it was Ezra Mam’s first grand final try when he stepped past two Panthers defenders and raced 40 metres to score.
“Look at that breakaway speed, he’s gone all the way and dives. What do you call a touchdown in rugby,” Gronkowski said.
Then it was onto Rabbitohs superstar Latrell Mitchell darting out of dummyhalf, skipping out of a tackle and then fending off Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr to score.
“The lateral pass, oh we’ve got a high step, here he goes, we’ve got a little juke and oh we’ve got a stiff arm,” he said.
“That’s what you love to see in this game, not just rugby but also in American football. Oh that stiff arm (guy) was a beast, it was like ‘get off me boy’.”
The next highlight was Souths halfback Lachlan Ilias slotting a golden point field goal against Manly.
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“There goes a drop kick, I haven’t seen a dropkick in American football since 1950 and they’re doing it in rugby now?,” Gronkowski said.
Finally the NFL icon was shown Mam again, this time racing away from Storm defenders to score under the posts before celebrating.
“This guy is gone, he’s at the 40, he’s at the 30, he’s at the 20,” Gronkowski said.
“Is it yardage in rugby or metres? Whatever, he scored and the Usain Bolt celebration, that’s what I’m talking about.”
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