Canberra Raiders Trainer In Hot Water For Getting Involved In On-Field Scuffle

A Canberra Raiders staff member could face punishment for his role in the melee with the Penrith Panthers players over the weekend.

The two teams locked horns when Panthers star Stephen Crichton grabbed Joseph Tapine following Charline Staines' try in the 65th minute of their fifth round NRL clash.

Tapine was patiently waiting to be substituted onto the field before he was dragged into the Panthers' corner celebrations by Crichton.

This drew a reaction from the Raiders players who jumped to the defence of their young forward.

But as the biff between the towering sets of players broke out, rugby league viewers watching from home noticed another person getting involved too - and he wasn't wearing a green Raiders jersey or a black Panthers jumper.

As replays of the fracas emerged on the big screen inside BlueBet Stadium, you could see one of the Canberra trainers confronting Penrith forward James Fisher-Harris.

The trainer, wearing a distinctive club shirt and hat, can be seen putting his hands on Fisher-Harris before a bit of push and shove breaks out between the two.

That's when Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton quickly intervened and separated them before things turned nasty - well, nasty for the trainer, definitely not Fisher-Harris.

And according to The Sydney Morning Herald, Panthers officials weren't too happy after reviewing the footage internally the following morning.

It remains to be seen whether the trainer will receive a fine or formal warning, but the NRL operations manual indicates he could definitely find himself in hot water.

Section 8.8.2 of the manual states: "Under no circumstances are trainers permitted to approach or become involved in an altercation or melee involving players from either competing team. This includes not attempting to separate or restrain players who may be attempting to become involved in the incident."

We shall have to see what sort of punishment the trainer's actions carry with NRL head of football Graham Annesley set to make the call in the coming days.

"All matters that arise out of the weekend's games will be looked at on Monday following the round, and it's not appropriate to comment until we've reviewed those matches."

Topics: Canberra Raiders, Rugby League, nrl, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry