NRL: Brawling clubs take fines on the chin

Manly coach Des Hasler. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne and Manly have reluctantly accepted the A$50,000 ($62,600) fines and on-field charges they were issued by the NRL for the ugly fighting which marred last Friday night's match at Brookvale Oval.

Storm chief executive Ron Gauci said yesterday that the club would not dispute the NRL match review committee's findings, and four of the five players charged over their involvement in the incident would all take the early guilty plea.

Manly also decided not to contest the charges laid against star players Brett Stewart, Kieran Foran and Michael Robertson.

Manly's Glenn Stewart and Melbourne's Adam Blair were referred straight to the judiciary for engaging in a one-on-one stoush after being sent to the sin-bin.

Sea Eagles prop Darcy Lussick is the only possible addition to tonight's judiciary list.

While Manly are not contesting his guilt in his contrary conduct charge for also rushing into the melee, the club is still deciding whether they will ask for a downgrade tonight.

Lussick was hit with a grade-four charge which would see him miss three matches. Brett Stewart, Foran and Robertson were charged with contrary conduct for rushing into the fight and will not appear at the judiciary.

Their early guilty pleas mean Robertson is free to take on Brisbane, while Brett Stewart and Foran will be suspended for one match each.

Melbourne players Jaiman Lowe, Sisa Waqa, Bryan Norrie and Sika Manu were hit with detrimental conduct charges for breaking NRL protocol and getting involved from their position on the interchange bench.

The Storm did not believe these players did anything but come to the aid of besieged teammate Blair, but decided not to fight the matters.

Waqa and Manu will miss a match, while Norrie and Lowe escape suspension.

Manly coach Des Hasler said his club was interested to know what the NRL will do with the A$100,000 it pocketed.

"It's been an intense couple of days ... [we've decided to] accept the A$50,000 fine and move on, which is probably a smart thing to do, to put the distraction well and truly behind and not make it too protracted and we can move forward."

Melbourne chief executive Ron Gauci said the Storm reluctantly accepted the NRL's findings.

"As a club after much deliberation, we've decided to accept the penalties against the four players Jaiman Lowe, Sisa Waqa, Bryan Norrie and Sika Manu," Gauci said. "We've also agreed to accept the charge against Adam Blair and with regard to the A$50,000 fine we reluctantly accept that as well."

NRL chief executive David Gallop was happy the two club's had accepted the sanctions. The hard stand was a warning to other players looking to fight on the field.

- AAP