It was a case of do what I say, not what I do, as two rugby league teams representing police area commands came to blows during a fiery brawl at St Marys Leagues Club in Western Sydney.
The brawl between the Nepean Police Area Command and The Hills Police Area Command was captured in mobile phone footage which shows off-duty policemen from both sides throwing punches.
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The incident, which is believed to have occurred on September 16, was instigated by a brutal tackle from a member of The Hills team.
Players from Nepean Police Area Command took exception to the seemingly high tackle and ran in to protect their mate.
Players from both sides were then seen throwing punches as the melee spilt over the sidelines.
Team officials and volunteers were seen getting involved to break up the violence.
The Daily Telegraph reports the match was being officiated by former NRL referee Sean Hampstead, who managed to quickly get the situation back under control.
The paper reports some senior member of NSW Police were also in attendance at the Mate v Mate tournament, which involved six teams from police area commands in northwestern Sydney.
Players involved in the violence were reportedly given a stern talking to by the senior NSW Police figures.
“Violence is not acceptable at any time and the involved players have already been spoken with in regard to their behaviour during the match,” a police spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph.
Ben Hunt slams teammates
Meanwhile, Dragons star Ben Hunt has slammed his St George Illawarra teammates for not attending the team’s end of-season presentation.
The star halfback was announced at the club’s player of the year at the Dragons’ awards night, but remarkably only three players — Hunt, Zac Lomax and Michael Molo — were at the event.
Hunt is in the UK for the Kangaroos’ Rugby League World Cup tour and has admitted he was disappointed 27 Dragons players didn’t turn up at the awards night.
The event was rescheduled to a later date and fell at a time when players had been on annual leave since their season ended on September 3.
“It was a bit disappointing, in a way,” he told Channel 9.
“But a lot of players came to me when we found out about presentation night and mentioned they’d already booked holidays away.”
However, it’s emerged several Dragons players were in fact in Sydney at the time and chose not to attend.
“I did hear after it that there was a couple of guys that were in Sydney and I think that is pretty disrespectful,” Hunt said.
“You’re part of the club, you’ve worked hard all year playing for them, you should come and celebrate the year.”
The 32-year-old said he would like to clear the air with his Dragons teammates after returning from international duties.
“Yeah, I’d like to have a chat to some of them,” Hunt said.
“Obviously I won’t be able to do it for a few weeks now, not until pre-season. It’d just be good to know their reasons for why they didn’t come.”
Despite Hunt’s career-best season that made him a contender for the Dally M Medal and halfback of the year, the Dragons finished 10th an outside the top eight in another disappointing season.
Hunt has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2025 season.
The club has been hit with claims of player unrest with young gun Tyrell Sloan reportedly asking to be released from his contract to join the Dolphins and boom talent Jayden Sullivan reportedly wanting to move to the Bulldogs.
The slight has been interpreted by many as further evidence of player unrest towards Griffin, who heads into the 2023 season without a contract for 2024.
