- Footy stars were involved in a heated stoush
- The incident happened after the final whistle
- Melbourne Storm defeated Newcastle Knights
A heated battle between Jackson Hastings and Trent Loiero left tensions high after Melbourne’s dramatic win over Newcastle on Sunday.
It is unclear what sparked the incident that led to Hastings pointing a finger at the Storm star after the final whistle, with the Knights failing to secure a stunning comeback win.
“We saw some scenes at the end of this game. Things boiled over for Knights halfback Jackson Hastings,” Lara Pitt said on Fox League.
“There were clearly frustrations for both sides,” Corey Parker added.
“We see Jackson Hastings in the thick of it with Trent Loiero.
Jackson Hastings (R) and Trent Loiero (L) were involved in a heated stoush
Melbourne Storm defeated the Knights in a dramatic match at AAMI Park
‘No surprise to see, both players play with their hearts on their sleeves and you see Hastings pointing the finger there.’
The Knights have proved a handful for the Storm recently, winning their past two meetings and scoring in the 76th minute to set up a grandstand finish in their Sunday afternoon clash.
Melbourne looked on track for a comfortable win as they scored three tries in 12 minutes in the second half to race to a commanding 34-16 lead.
With his father, former Illawarra Steelers and NSW star Rod Wishart, watching from the stands during the Storm’s family round, Tyran Wishart continued to prove a worthy replacement for injured playmaker Cameron Munster.
Wishart crossed twice in that 12-minute burst, using his running game in combination with Jahrome Hughes in the halves, causing a headache for the Knights.
Xavier Coates, withdrawn from Queensland’s Origin win, scored the other try with a spectacular aerial effort to dive into the corner.
The visitors almost pulled off a remarkable turnaround but were denied by the Storm
Center Nick Meaney finished with a personal score of 20 points, including two tries, five conversions and a penalty.
Newcastle, who were a shock 30-point loser to Canterbury last week, continued to battle, with Dane Gagai taking charge of the Storm defense and winning to give his team a sniff.
His center partner Dylan Lucas also scored a try in each half, and fullback Fletcher Sharpe grabbed a four-pointer in his NRL debut.
Enari Tuala missed a chance when Storm fullback Sua Faalogo knocked the winger’s ball loose over the try line.
However, Tuala could not be denied a minute later after Jackson surprised Hastings by kicking across the field on tackle one, with Hastings adding the extras when trailing by six.
The Knights’ hopes were dashed when Tyson Frizell was sinned for a professional foul in the final minute after taking down Wishart, with Meaney adding a further two points to put the match out of reach.