Canterbury Bulldogs star Sam Hughes disciplined for contact with female referee

Bulldogs star Sam Hughes has found himself in trouble after appearing to make contact with NRL referee Kasey Badger on Saturday.

The incident happened in the first half of the Bulldogs’ match with the Wests Tigers at Accor Stadium.

Hughes appeared to shove Badger, who was in his path after coming out of a scrum on the defensive line.

The NRL match review team looked closely at the incident on Sunday and decided not to suspend him.

Hughes escaped the Grade 1 charge and was instead fined $3,000. If he challenges the decision and loses, he faces a two-match ban.

Hughes escaped the Grade 1 charge and was instead fined $3,000

It comes after another incident involving contact between a referee and a player earlier this season.

Jahrome Hughes was suspended for shoving referee Chris Butler as he tried to stop a try while playing against the Warriors in March.

Replays show Hughes pushing Butler aside, with the referee hitting the ground before the Storm halfback tries to save an attempt.

Tensions threatened to erupt during the Bulldogs’ 22-14 win and a scuffle eventually broke out when David Klemmer was sent to the sin bin for dissent in the final ten minutes.

Canterbury hooker Reed Mahoney rushed in to confront Seyfarth as he grabbed Canterbury teammate Viliame Kikau and as the third man in the fray he appeared to take a headbutt from the Tigers prop.

“I just did what anyone else would do, just run in and protect their partner,” Mahoney said.

Unlike after the fighting in the win over Newcastle, Mahoney was spared the sin bin, although the same could not be said for Seyfarth.

Both knights, Hetherington and Mahoney, went to bat in round six, with the former ultimately receiving a one-gam ban for escalating matters in the tunnel at the same location.

Tensions threatened to erupt during the Bulldogs’ 22-14 win over the Tigers

Canterbury has proven again this season that they are a new team

When asked if he deserved the reputation as a pest, little Mahoney shot a barb at Hetherington and Seyfarth.

‘People get big man syndrome, they don’t like little people talking to them. Maybe that’s their fault, not mine,” he said.

‘I’m just playing the football I’ve been playing for the last five years. I don’t really worry about things like that.

“I get into fights like this because I’m there to protect my buddy. That’s what this is about, protecting each other until death. I’m just there to do that, I’m not there to start anything, I’m there to protect and stand up for my boys. That’s how I see it.’

Hetherington returns from his suspension for Sunday’s game against the Warriors.

The Knights have not yet dealt with the controversy surrounding Homebush, in which he appeared ready to deliver a blow to Mahoney. The Bulldogs hooker remained tight-lipped on Saturday.

‘I don’t really want to comment on it, I’m the kind of player who leaves everything on the pitch. He obviously got quite angry and I’ll just leave it at that,” he said.

‘Footy’s footy, you play on emotion and we’re all like that at times.’