Footy spectator banned for two years for abusing referees and opposition players
The top-of-the-table NRL NT Round 8 clash was in full swing when tensions flared from the crowd at TRL Stadium.
After Darwin Brothers scored to close the gap to 20-18, match officials were alerted to abusive comments coming from the hill behind the goalposts.
The remarks were described as personal and targeted, aimed at both the referee and Litchfield players.
The referee, who had flown in from Queensland for the game, immediately stopped play.
With the clock reading 61:39, he informed both team captains of the situation. Security and match officials stepped in to calm the crowd and identify the individual involved.
The game resumed after a seven-minute pause. Litchfield Bears responded with two late tries to eventually win the game 28-26.
The incident overshadowed what had been an entertaining and hard-fought contest between two of the competition's best sides.
The spectator, identified as a Brothers supporter, has now received a 30-month ban from all rugby league activity.
The 30-month ban is one of the harshest handed down in NRL NT history.
The penalty includes 12 months for referee abuse, 12 for abuse of opposition players and six for bringing the game into disrepute.
NRL NT operations manager Sheron McDougall said the suspension sends a clear message.
'It's a timely reminder to all clubs and participants that we need to be mindful this is a sport and we have a responsibility to abide by the code of conduct,' she told News Corp.
'We're drawing a line in the sand, it won't be tolerated.
'We hope these matters can be solved without a game being paused but the referee is well within their right to do so and we support that.'
The game's governing body backed the referee's decision to stop play. NRL NT general manager Tony Crowe said the match official acted correctly.
'We 100 per cent support the referee's decision to pause the match,' he said.
'We've all come here to enjoy rugby league, not listen to some individual that thinks their opinion is above everyone else's.'
Darwin Brothers president John Adams also condemned the incident.
'Our club doesn't condone any sort of abuse, verbal or otherwise, towards the officials,' he said.
In a separate case, a Katherine spectator has also been banned for 12 months. That penalty came after they used obscene language towards a junior referee and behaved in a way that discredited the game.
McDougall said all sports were seeing similar problems and urged better behaviour.
'This is happening across all sports and we have to be mindful,' she said.
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