Players, club fined, banned for Kiunga league violence

By MELTON PAIS
A SEMIFINAL between Brothers and Fly Warriors in the Kiunga Rugby league competition was abandoned after the referee James Benson was attacked by three Warriors players.
The game was a rematch according to reports sent from KRFL president Roy Kakarere to PNGRFL Southern Confederation director Gwaibo Mairi, pictured.
Mairi said the club and three players would face severe penalties from the league for their actions.
The report stated that the rematch between Brothers and Warriors on Sunday (Oct 28) was initially scheduled for Oct 21 but that game was not completed after the referee called off the game after being threatened.
“Since there were no referees available last Sunday, referee Benson stepped in and officiated three matches and the Bothers-Warriors game was his third one,” Kakakrere said.
“The first half had no problems but in the second half with eight minutes remaining, Warriors players Gerard Philip, Kenny Orovet and Rodney Yakim attacked Benson.
“Warriors players disputed a decision by Benson to award a try to Brothers and they started punching him claiming that the try was a result of a forward pass.”
Kakarere said both Brothers and Warriors players and supporters stormed the grand stand and demanded he declare the winner.
Kakarere instead put the case before Southern Confederation boss Mairi to make a ruling.
Mairi ruled in favour of Brothers and fined the three Warriors players K3000 each and banned them for three years.
Mairi said all the fines needed to be to KRFL account by Nov 30 and failure to do so would result in Warriors club being banned for two years its registered players would not be allowed to take part in any PNGRFL-sanctioned competitions.
Mairi fined the Brothers club K3000 after some of their players and officials verbally abused Kakarere and his league officials and acted in a threatening manner during the final.