Hickey denies El Masri last home try
It wasn't that Jarrad Hickey wanted to take away from teammate Hazem El Masri's special day, it's just that vanity took over.
Not once but twice the 115kg Bulldogs prop ignored El Masri in support as he lumbered his way to the tryline with just two minutes left on the clock in the Bulldogs' 40-20 win over the Warriors on Sunday.
El Masri's pleas as well as those of the largest crowd to a regular season match in Sydney in 35 years, there to see the Bulldogs veteran play his final home game, fell on deaf ears.
No, Hickey wanted this one for himself, and not even El Masri in support was enough to make him give it up with the man mountain keen on avoiding the dreaded post-season nudie run for all those without a try for the year.
"I'm out of that now so it's all good," Hickey said.
"I don't mind the nude thing, it's the running that I don't want to be doing.
Hickey said he never had any thoughts of looking after his teammate, who zigzagged inside an out in a desperate attempt to catch Hickey's attention
"Just when he came back on the inside I knew I wasn't going to pass it - I was just going myself," Hickey said.
"I don't think he would have got there -he's getting a bit slow in his old age. I saw him there, I threw a dummy
"He's got plenty of tries himself, he'll be right."
The no-try did little to take away from what was, well, an 'El Magic' day, the NRL's leading pointscorer highlighting his prowess with the boot with a perfect eight from eight for a personal haul of 16 points.
The crowd flocked onto the field after the game for a giant all-in photo, but not before a stirring nine-minute video tribute.
"It speaks wonders for him - there's never been a player in the history of the game aside from a grand final where 40,000 plus people have come to say thanks," Moore said.
"I think that won't sink in with Haz for a while but I think that's something special."
A teary El Masri, flanked by his three children and wife Arwa, addressed the crowd, who chanted his name long and hard.
"Nobody expected that not even myself," El Masri said.
"Just to see everyone stick around - I don't know if it can get any better than this.
"It's an unbelievable feeling ... it will be in my head for a long time."
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