SHAMED rugby league love rat Joe Westerman was yesterday backed to play this weekend – after his coach joked: "I'm sure he'll have a blast."
He was widely tipped to be dropped for the game against Hull on Sunday after video footage of him performing a sex act on a blonde went viral.
But Castleford Tigers boss Lee Radford laughed off the seedy scandal which has engulfed the 33-year-old married dad-of-three.
In a bizarre press conference he said: "He's available to play and if he's selected I'm sure he's going to have a blast at the KC Stadium.
"He's definitely up for playing."
Westerman was filmed at the weekend with a married mum-of-two down a darkened alleyway next to Greggs in Pontefract, West Yorks.
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The graphic seven-second clip went viral on Twitter and showed him with his trousers and pants wrapped around his ankles.
His distraught wife, Lauren, 33, told The Sun she felt "physically sick" after watching the video and has vowed never to take him back.
Remorseful Westerman apologised through the Super League club and vowed to "work on my decision-making around alcohol".
His club boss Radford was asked how the loose forward was doing mentally following the fallout from his sex tape shame.
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My husband Joe Westerman's alley romp has made him a laughing stock
Radford again joked: "Oh, he's mental."
The coach went on: "He's alright, he's Joe. He's been himself.
"Monday knocked us about a bit but since then he's trained well and put his best foot forward for selection.
"He's one of a number of players who have had a good pre-season.
"I'm sure Joe will be as motivated as anybody else on the field on Sunday if he is to participate. Throughout his career he's driven a rocky road.
"He's had some other setbacks off the field but he's always responded in a good manner and mentally he's a tough fella."
Lauren Westerman, 33, said the graphic seven-second clip had inflicted untold harm on her and their children.
Devastated Lauren said her two eldest children – aged nine and 14 – had been sent the horrific video on Snapchat by classmates.
Lauren later wrote on Twitter: "Can I make this VERY clear that this is NOT me!!!!!!"
She added: "And we have three children, one of whom is almost 15, and she doesn’t need to see things like this all over social media!"
Lauren has been bombarded with apologetic text messages from her 33-year-old childhood sweetheart but she is adamant there is no way back.
She revealed she immediately kicked him out of the family home but paused momentarily to show the awful memes featuring him that are now flooding social media.
Westerman's boozy spree started at 11.30am on Saturday in the pubs and bars of Pontefract, West Yorks, took in the grim alleyway and ended at 2.30am the next day.
The Castleford Tigers loose forward, 33, has since apologised through the Super League club and vowed to "work on my decision-making around alcohol".
He said: "Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly apologise to my family and friends for my actions.
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"I’d also like to apologise to the supporters, sponsors, staff, and directors of Castleford Tigers as well as my team-mates.
"I’d like to extend this apology to the game of rugby league, and I have realised that I need to work on my decision-making around alcohol.”
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