South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold says people will soon be able to make up their mind on the sexting scandal that has embroiled Sam Burgess, claiming they had only heard one side of the story.
Seibold was also adamant the off-field controversy had only made the Rabbitohs tougher ahead of Saturday night’s NRL preliminary final against Sydney Roosters.
The NRL integrity unit’s probe into allegations lewd images were sent to a young woman from one of Burgess’ social media accounts are expected to conclude by Thursday despite reports of a setback.
An emotional Burgess addressed the scandal on Tuesday, repeatedly saying he would be “happy for the truth to come out” without going into specifics.
Seibold echoed Burgess’ thoughts after saluting his team’s resilience for overcoming the off-field distraction in their dramatic 13-12 semi-final win over St George Illawarra.
The allegations were made public on the eve of the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Dragons although the alleged incident occurred back in May.
“The public has only heard one side of the story,” Seibold told Sky Sports Radio.
“The investigation will hopefully conclude today or tomorrow and then people can make up their own mind on the story that has been out there.
“Obviously it wasn’t ideal having the club on the front page and being the lead story on most of the news agencies across the country on Friday and Saturday last week but I thought the guys showed a lot of resolve.”
The Rabbitohs may be expecting a verdict before the grand final qualifier however reports suggest the NRL’s investigation hit a snag.
Fairfax reported the woman at the centre of the allegations had refused to speak with investigators from both the Rabbitohs and the NRL when contacted while on holiday in South Africa.
Either way, Seibold said the ongoing scandal compounded by back to back one point finals finishes had only steeled his side ahead of their clash with the minor premiers.
South Sydney No.7 Adam Reynolds’ three field goals helped the Rabbitohs pull off a stunning one point win over the Dragons a week after falling short 29-28 to Melbourne in a qualifying final.
“I think the hard football is making us tougher,” Seibold said.
“And we’ve shown we can handle pressure. I think we have shown a lot of resolve and resilience.
“We are not fatigued by any means. We are really confident heading into the Roosters game.”