The Penrith Panthers‘ impressive win over the Canberra Raiders has been marred by ugly scenes which saw rival players brawl after the final whistle.
Tensions flared between the Raiders and Panthers after a dominant second half from the reigning premiers saw them pile on four unanswered second-half tries in a 36-6 win at Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium.
It was a brutal second half for the Raiders both on and off the field, as the Panthers fans ruthlessly mocked Canberra’s famous Viking clap as their team put on a frightening second half performance.
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The mocking in the stands perhaps set the stage for what was to come, as players from both sides scuffled before it was eventually broken up by nearby trainers.
It initially looked like a normal ending to an NRL game as cameras were focused on the Panthers players congratulating each other on a seventh straight win.
However, the focus very quickly shifted as Panthers players ran towards hat-trick hero Stephen Crichton and Raiders skipper Jack Wighton, who appeared to be having a heated conversation.
Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards was one of the players who ran in to remonstrate, and Wighton was not impressed, pushing Edwards away, sparking the brawl as referee Grant Atkins yelled and attempted to put a stop to the melee.
Eventually the fracas was broken up and a fuming Atkins called over the captains from the two teams, Isaah Yeo of Penrith and Wighton.
“What happened there is garbage,” he told the two players.
“At the end of the game, seriously? We’re into round seven, you blokes have got a lot to lose if blokes spend weeks on judiciary.
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“The incident is on report, but you’ve got to understand, you blokes as clubs, there’s young kids watching that and that’s nonsense.”
It remains to be seen what penalties will be handed out to the players involved in the brawl.