{"id":290408,"date":"2023-09-12T07:49:21","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T07:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=290408"},"modified":"2023-09-12T07:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T07:49:21","slug":"why-peter-sterling-will-reject-nrls-request-to-present-clive-churchill-medal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/rugby-league\/why-peter-sterling-will-reject-nrls-request-to-present-clive-churchill-medal\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Peter Sterling will reject NRL\u2019s request to present Clive Churchill Medal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Peter Sterling is set to reject the NRL\u2019s forthcoming request to present this year\u2019s Clive Churchill Medal at the grand final after committing to a golf weekend on the Central Coast on the same day.<\/p>\n

The Herald<\/em> on Monday night reported that Sterling was set to be asked to present the man-of-the-match award as part of a plan to overhaul the ceremony in response to the backlash over recent comments made by Rod Churchill, the son of Clive, about Latrell Mitchell.<\/p>\n

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Peter Sterling has committed to a golf weekend on the Central Coast on the same day as the grand final.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Aaron Brown<\/cite><\/p>\n

Rod Churchill accepted the decision but asked the governing body to recognise the history of the award by asking former recipients to present it to the new winner.<\/p>\n

The NRL was expected to contact Sterling this week, but the Parramatta legend has told this masthead he won\u2019t be able to attend the grand final due to a prior commitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs of Tuesday afternoon, nobody has been in touch and asked me,\u201d Sterling said. \u201cNothing official has come through to me. When it was in the papers this morning, I didn\u2019t know about it and my first reaction was that I have plans that weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to appear disrespectful but I have stuff in place and that was the case for quite a while. I\u2019m not going to make the grand final and I don\u2019t see how that will change. It might be disrespectful when such an honour is expected to be asked of me but, unfortunately, I have plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Peter Sterling, Rod Churchill and Latrell Mitchell.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n

The NRL and Churchill family have agreed that Rod will not be on stage at this year\u2019s decider to present the medal named after his father, as he was last year when Dylan Edwards won the award for his role in the Panthers\u2019 triumph over Parramatta.<\/p>\n

Rod Churchill requested that the first recipient of the award \u2013 Sterling, who starred in Parramatta\u2019s 4-2 victory over arch-rivals Canterbury in 1986 \u2013 present the medal this year.<\/p>\n

Previous Clive Churchill Medal winners (1986-2004)<\/h3>\n