NRL’S SHAME
LEAGUE FLAGS LIFE BANS FOR UGLY SCENES
THE NRL has vowed to identify and ban for life the thugs who threw bottles at match officials – leaving a touch judge with a suspected broken shoulder – in the controversial aftermath to yesterday’s ANZ Stadium thriller between Souths and Canterbury.
Incensed Bulldogs fans, angry at their team’s loss, hurled full bottles of water from the stands, striking several officials and causing one to fall heavily to the ground.
“There’s life bans available for us and we’ll work with the stadium, club and with police to find those culprits,’’ NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said last night.
“It highlights the fact we need to give more respect and attention to our match officials and referees. I’ll be having as much dialogue as needed with the club, the stadium and the authorities to ensure appropriate penalties are handed out.
“There’s lots of marginal calls in rugby league but the fan behaviour at today’s game was completely unacceptable. We won’t tolerate it”
Reports last night suggested the injured touch judge, Darren Alchin, was taken to hospital with a suspected broken shoulder.
Referee Gavin Morris was also struck but was not injured. There were reports of further trouble outside the stadium, with a Souths’ fan allegedly hit with a coward punch from a Bulldogs supporter.
Canterbury coach Des Hasler was quick to condemn the behaviour of his club’s fans, saying: “That is not what sport in this country is about.’’
The wild scenes began when Souths were awarded a late penalty for an incident which left their star halfback Adam Reynolds out of the game for up to five months. The penalty gave the Bunnies an 18-17 victory.
Souths coach Michael Maguire last night confirmed his star playmaker – who limped out of Olympic Park on crutches, his left leg in a brace – was gone for “anywhere between three and five months” following the 79th minute tackle by Canterbury captain James Graham. The incident, which saw Graham put on report and penalised, effectively decided the game.