Revealed: The footage of Elliott Whitehead and Trent Robinson’s confrontation as departing Englishman drops a final grenade on his way out

Footage has emerged of Elliott Whitehead’s explosive run in with Roosters coach Trent Robinson following a hip-drop tackle that ended the season of hooker Brandon Smith.

The Englishman was sin-binned twice in Canberra’s 14-12 upset victory over the Sydney Roosters, with his tackle on Brandon Smith causing an ACL injury.

Whitehead approached Robinson to apologise for his tackle after the game, only to be rebuffed by the coach, who also lost Sam Walker (knee) and Victor Radley (shoulder) to injury on Sunday.

Footage obtained by Fox League shows Whitehead approaching Robinson after fulltime where the pair clash before Whitehead walks off.

‘I didn’t mean to do Brandon. I know he’s come up with a bad injury and stuff, and I’m sorry to him for that,’ Whitehead said afterwards.

‘I went over to ask about Brandon and Trent Robinson’s had a go at me.

‘I went to apologise, and he’s turned on me, so the way he’s done that I thought (he) was out of order.’

Robinson was reluctant to address the incident in his own post-match press conference.

Elliott Whitehead (left) and Trent Robinson (right) clashed after Sunday’s game

Whitehead attempted to apologise after the match, but the Roosters coach rejected it

But the coach felt Whitehead had a history of laying hip-drop tackles throughout a career that began with English Super League side Bradford in 2009.

In the past two years, though, Whitehead has only been charged with grade-one offences.

‘He came up and just wanted to ask how Brandon was, and I just said it was too many times. The hip-drop’s been pretty common in his game for a long time, and I just said it’s too many times. It’s cost us a player,’ Robinson said.

‘That was it. He said it was an accident, and I just said ‘Look, you’ve done it too many times’. That was it.’

Whitehead has since poked fun at the incident on social media by posting a video dubbed with a famous piece of footy commentary where a commentator demands a player should be sent off.

The Canberra star captioned the video, ‘Get him off the field’. 

Whitehead has been hit with a grade-three dangerous contact charge, resulting in a three-match ban with an early plea, or four games if he elects to fight it and loses.

The Canberra star has since made fun of the incident on social media

Whitehead has likely played his last game in the NRL after copping a three-match ban

Canberra have until midday on Tuesday to decide whether they fight it, but given Whitehead is due to return home to England at the end of this year there is little to lose but legal costs.

Canberra need something of a miracle to make the finals, first needing to beat St George Illawarra on Saturday and then hope Newcastle and the Dolphins draw on Sunday.

Whitehead’s ban would be a disappointing way for the 205-game veteran to go out, after being one of the Raiders’ most reliable players for the past decade.