Manly player's post-game fight in Canberra could spark junior rugby league crackdown

The Canberra Raiders have handed all information to the NSWRL following a Harold Matthews Cup post-game incident at Kippax last weekend.

Raiders chief executive Don Furner says the club will not increase its security presence at home games for the junior sides despite growing concerns surrounding games in Sydney, or involving clubs based in Sydney.

Furner stressed incidents were rare and did not want to comment on the circumstances of last weekend as the NSWRL prepares its own investigation.

The lack of footage of the incident in Canberra has complicated matters for NSWRL officials, who are trying to piece together what happened.

But the NSWRL could move to implement measures at matches, particularly those in Sydney, to ensure player and spectator safety.

"It's all with the NSWRL to investigate now," Furner said.

"We certainly feel this is the exception rather than the rule at our games, so we won't look at extra security. I'm not sure what the NSWRL might do there."

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Both clubs and referees have provided separate reports. A Canberra school student is understood to have been injured, but has so far opted not to report the incident to police. The NSWRL is reluctant to comment until it finishes its investigations and any judiciary process.

The player involved reportedly jumped the fence to confront a spectator at the end of the round-one fixture in the capital.

The Raiders beat Manly 32-6 in the under-17s competition, but were beaten on the buzzer 20-18 in the SG Ball Cup.

Crowd control at junior matches has been thrust into the spotlight this year, with the NSWRL already investigating a separate incident involving Manly last month. A Manly player allegedly instigated the incident with spectators at an SG Ball trial match.

The Raiders will host two games again this weekend when the Green Machine play the St George-Illawarra Dragons at the same venue.

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