Macquarie Network ::: 2GB | 2CH | LIVENEWS | STREET CORNER | RUGBYLEAGUELIVE | WHAT CAREER | AMAZING AUSTRALIANS :::
Thursday, 04 December 2008

NRL reviewing footage of Civoniceva 'monkey' incident

7/07/2008 2:34:00 PM.  | Anil Lambert-Patel

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST FEATURES

The National Rugby League will review footage of the incident involving Petero Civoniceva and a group of supporters at Parramatta Stadium in the hope of catching the offenders.

This morning a man who was sitting next to the Parramatta fans who racially abused Civoniceva called 2GB's Ray Hadley morning program to explain how he had seen and heard the entire incident, including the point at which Civoniceva was called a "monkey".

'Graham' says the Panthers forward was on the sideline ready to take the field, when he was hit with a torrent of abuse from two Eels fans, culminating in the racial taunts.

"As soon as he called him a monkey, Petero saw red, turned around and walked straight at him," he described.

"I thought he was going to hit him - I was hoping he would because the guy was an idiot. But he just said: 'What did you say?' He repeated and then he [Civoniceva] said: 'I can't believe you said that,' and then knocked his cup over."

Civoniceva has since apologised to Parramatta fans, worried that his actions may have scared children in the crowd.

But Graham, a Panthers fan, says no such apology is needed.

"Well, my six-year-old was sitting next to me and he was more upset with the idiots calling him names than what Petero did," he said.

Graham says a security guard came over but took no action, even after he told him about the racial abuse.

Parramatta CEO Dennis Fitzgerald has since told Ray Hadley he doesn't know why security failed to act.

"It seems to me in the early stages that security didn't act as forcefully or as correctly as we would have liked them to act," he explained.

"They should have been put out straight away, especially after they admitted calling Petero a monkey. From all reports they seem to have admitted what they said and then security walked away.

"So why they did that, that's what I'm trying to ascertain."

YOUR SAY




 


 

500 characters maximum. 500 characters left.


 

* Required field

 
Register to receive daily news and sports details

YOUR SAY

Ha ha ,thats good.... Pierce B, Vic on Is this possum the first furry victim of climate change?

Dewey, it's called "driving a vehicle with obscured number plates". You get three demerit points and a whopping fine for that sort of... Lez Lezman, Sydnesia on E-tag scam reveals government malaise

Any thing that i hear about this arogant man does not surprise me,he is typical of the low grade politicians on the Govenment side... Terry Crowley, Coogee /Sydney on Senator Conroy busted snoozing in Parliament

Any thing that i hear about this arogant man does not surprise me,he is typical of the low grade politicians on the Govenment side... Terry Crowley, Coogee /Sydney on Senator Conroy busted snoozing in Parliament

lol - love it.... Seth Morto, dundas on Labor stops pub punch-ups, Nationals start one