Former Newcastle Knight Alex McKinnon has unleashed on Melbourne Storm skipper Cameron Smith in an interview on 60 Minutes.
In an interview with Liz Hayes, McKinnon opened up about the events of the night in 2014 when a lifting tackle from the Storm's Jordan McLean left him paralysed.
As part of the show, the pair watch the incident again, something McKinnon hasn't done since it happened.
He places blame not on McLean, the man whose tackle left him lying on the ground, but on Smith's behaviour afterwards.
"You see someone with two, four, six, eight, nine people around them and you want to debate about a f---ng penalty?" the Aberdeen native says angrily, as he watches Smith continue to ask the referee whether or not the tackle is worthy of a penalty, while he is lying helpless on the ground for several minutes, before eventually being stretchered off the field.
"Is he still debating? Is he f---ing serious? Wouldn't you just shut up? It's f---ing ridiculous."
McKinnon says that since the incident, the young prop McLean has reached out to him.
"He sent me a message maybe two months after the accident. I'm not angry. At the start I probably was. I know he'd be sorry."
He reveals that Smith, the Storm and Australia captain, has not been in contact, when asked by Hayes if he was visited by the hooker in hospital.
"Nup. I don't know whether he's tried, but I'm sure if Jordan McLean could make contact he could."
The Melbourne Storm defended their star player earlier on Sunday, saying Melbourne's players, led by Smith, attempted to visit McKinnon in hospital several times but were refused.
McKinnon's father Scott has also not forgiven Smith, and when asked, says he never will.
"No I dont think so. It's unforgivable as far as I'm concerned."
Smith's former coach for Queensland and Australia, Wayne Bennett, offered a philosophical response to his former pupil's behaviour during that round three match.
"He's a good person. I've got to assume that on the night he just got lost."
The rest of the episode looked at McKinnon's road to recovery, and the emotional strains put on both he and his family, as well as girlfriend Teigan and best mate, fellow NRL player Korbin Sims.
When asked if he would let his kids play rugby league, McKinnon's response was emphatic.
"Of course they'll play football! They can do what they want to do."
