A man who has been accused of throwing a meat pie at rival fans during an NRL game will be banned from matches for life in a move that has left angry footy fans slamming the league for adopting a huge double standard.
The St George Illawarra fan was filmed allegedly throwing the pie into the crowd during Saturday’s Dragons vs Bulldogs match, with the clip going viral on social media.
NSW Police have charged a 26-year-old man over the alleged incident and the NRL has issued him with a notice of intention to ban, which would bar him from attending matches.
‘A man is due to face court next month after allegedly throwing a pie during a football match at a stadium on March 8.
‘Police officers patrolling the stadium were alerted to the incident on the eastern side of the general seating area.
‘No injuries were reported, however the pie is believed to have struck several people.’
A man has been charged by NSW Police after video emerged of a Dragons supporter allegedly throwing a pie at a Bulldogs supporter last Saturday (pictured)
A Canterbury fan is seen on the viral video footage after allegedly being hit by the pie as the Dogs beat St George Illawarra
Fans were quick to compare the life ban to the punishment the NRL handed down to Broncos star Ezra Mam after his drug-fuelled car accident last year.
Mam was driving with cocaine in his system and without a licence when he had a head-on collision on October 18 with an Uber vehicle, injuring the driver, a female passenger and leaving her young daughter with a reportedly broken hip.
He was suspended by the NRL until round 10 and fined $120,000 jointly by the NRL and Brisbane, in addition to being fined $850 and disqualified from driving for six months.
‘What about the bloke that took drugs, drove unlicensed and injured a small child?’ one wrote on X.
‘Yes. This monster is worse than Ezra Mam. Tomato sauce injuries kill thousands a year,’ another commented.
‘That’s the person the whole crowd should be throwing pies at,’ another added, referring to Mam.
‘If a player who drove under influence of drugs and alcohol without a license causing the damage that he did he can return after a short suspension, then I reckon this bloke probably can too,’ a third fan wrote.
‘Throwing a meat pie is worse than drug driving … and everything else some #NRL players have done apparently,’ added another.
Footy fans lashed out at the life ban news as they compared it to the nine-match ban handed to Broncos star Ezra Mam
Mam is out until round 10 after he was suspended for injuring two people in a head-on collision between his car and an Uber while he had cocaine in his system
The pie throwing allegedly occurred as the Bulldogs survived a late St George Illawarra comeback to win their season opener (pictured)
During the clip of the alleged pie-throwing, two spectators are seen buying a meat pie from a concession stand inside the ground. One of the individuals was seen wearing a St George jersey.
The pair were seen conversing with the shop attendant, asking her: ‘Would that look good on a Bulldogs supporter?’
The clip then jumps to show an individual wearing a St George jersey allegedly throwing the pie at a group of Bulldogs fans in the stands.
One man, wearing a Bulldogs top, who appeared to have been struck by the pie, approached the camera and said: ‘What are you taking a video of?’ He then appeared to show the stains on his blue and white jersey, stating: ‘Me getting hit?’
The Dragons said they were working with the NRL to identify the individual in question.
‘The Dragons are aware of a video circulating on social media depicting antisocial behaviour from a Dragons fan at last night’s match against the Bulldogs at Nestrata Jubilee Stadium,’ a club statement read.
‘The Dragons condemn any such behaviour in the strongest terms and will assist the NRL in relation to any breaches of the NRL Spectator Code of Conduct.
‘The Dragons would like to sincerely apologise to the Bulldogs fan impacted by the incident. We will work with the Bulldogs to contact the fan and pass on our apologies directly.
‘As a club, we want all fans, both home and away, to always feel safe at our games. Any behaviour that causes others not to feel safe will be acted upon.
‘The Dragons would also like to stress that the behaviour of one individual should not detract from what was overall a very respectful sellout crowd with fans of both clubs supporting the match in a great spirit.’
The Dragons would go on to suffer a 28-20 defeat in front of a sold-out Jubilee Stadium.
Despite a late surge, with Christian Tuipulotu scoring a hat-trick of tries, the Dogs were too strong for the home side, with Marcelo Montoya, Blake Wilson, Connor Tracey and Sitili Tupouniua all touching down for the visitors.
