PNG league official may be banned after attacking ref

PORT MORESBY – The Papua New Guinea Sports Minister says a local rugby league official should be banned for life after attacking a referee at the end of the Digicel Cup final in Port Moresby.

The Agmark Gurias beat the Simbu Lions 26-18 at Sir John Guise Stadium but the game ended in controversy when a fan threw a beer can at one of the visiting referees from Queensland and an official from the losing side attacked the winning team.

Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko said the offenders will be dealt with severely.

“The unfortunate incident at the end of the game was alcohol related. Some of them had snuck in intoxicated and think that the referee is the cause of their loss.

“The official from the losing side was arrested, put in the Boroko cells and will face the full front of the law.

“I’ve demanded he never play or be part of rugby league, Digicel Cup ever again because of his disgraceful behaviour.

“We can not tolerate this sort of rubbish anymore and we will not tolerate it.

“The fan who was drunk threw a full beer can at the umpire – another one threw a bottle of water - but the official was not drunk, he was just stupid, upset that they lost and wanted to take it out on the umpire.”

“The fan who threw the beer can unfortunately escaped in the crowd and there were over ten thousand people there. I think they know who he is – they’ll be able to track him down.

“ We do not sell any alcohol at any stadium at all in Papua New Guinea. It is totally no go, never mixes, and that was a classic example at the end of the game when one official of the losing team tries to assault a neutral person like the umpire.

“These umpires don’t know any of the sides, they don’t know any of the officials and for idiots to try and accuse them of being biased is just absolutely stupid.

“We just can’t tolerate this anymore. We need to grow up, we need to change our attitudes and we need to be smarter about this,” Tkatchenko said.