Marcelo Montoya homophobic slur: Warriors star facing NRL ban after apology
The Warriors star who directed a homophobic slur at a rival has apologised after the matter was sent straight to the judiciary without a grading.
NRL
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The Warriors have vowed to represent Marcelo Montoya in a vigorous and respectful manner after the winger put his hand up and admitted to the club that he was responsible for a homophobic slur in Friday night’s win over North Queensland.
Montoya was charged with contrary conduct by the match review committee on Sunday afternoon, the matter referred straight to the judiciary without a grading.
It means Montoya is facing a ban of a month or more after he admitted he had called North Queensland winger Kyle Feldt a “f….t” midway through the second half of the win over the Cowboys.
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The comment was picked up on the referee’s microphone and quickly began to circulate on social media, prompting the NRL to launch an immediate investigation.
The Warriors held inquires of their own and chief executive Cameron George revealed Montoya had come forward after an email was sent to the playing group on Saturday.
George acknowledged the comment was beyond the pale, but he also spoke passionately about Montoya and the impact he had made on the Warriors since joining the club.
2022 and we still hear this on a footy field 🤦â€â™‚ï¸#NRLWarriorsCowboyspic.twitter.com/ptSTXaDf58
— Dean Messiter (@truck1984) April 8, 2022
Only five days ago, Montoya and hooker Wayde Egan were feeding the homeless at a shelter in Brisbane. Montoya is also a part of the Warriors’ leadership group, such is the esteem with which he is held at the club.
“Both Marcelo and the club are extremely apologetic for the offence this has caused,” George said.
“It was unacceptable. Marcelo accepts responsibility and knows there’s no place for such behaviour both in the game and in society generally.
“But he should not be hung, drawn and quartered for this. He’s done the wrong thing. He’s put his hand up. He saw the damage it was doing and the offence it caused.
“Only five days ago he was at a homeless shelter in Brisbane with Wayde Egan feeding the homeless. He is an outstanding human being.
“He’s caused offence and the club has acknowledged that. At the same time, we feel obligated to Marcelo on the basis of him being a good human being and we need to demonstrate that.
“We’ll represent him in a vigorous and respectful manner.”
George said the Warriors would make a special submission to the judiciary when it considers the charge and penalty this week.
There was better news for Sydney Roosters forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves-Hargreaves after he avoided sanction over an incident involving Brisbane forward Ryan James on Friday night.
Waerea-Hargreaves was penalised and placed on report after he grabbed James’ leg, prompting the Broncos prop to fall to the ground clutching his knee.
News Corp understands the match review committee felt so little of the incident, they didn’t even bother sending Waerea-Hargreaves a concerning act notice.
While he avoided a sanction. Parramatta prop Junior Paulo was charged with a grade two careless high tackle for his shot on Gold Coast five-eighth AJ Brimson on Saturday night.
Paulo was sin-binned for the tackle, although coach Brad Arthur later questioned the decision as he pointed out contact had been with Brimson’s shoulder.
Brimson too seemed to indicate the contact had been with the shoulder while commentators also in support of the Eels prop.
That didn’t stop the match review committee issuing a charge on Sunday that could result in the Eels co-captain missing up to two matches.
How the incident unfolded
- Michael Carayannis and Peter Badel
The NRL were still assessing video and audio before making a decision on the homophobic slur directed towards a North Queensland player as the Cowboys scoffed at suggestions that the comment may have come from them.
The NRL charge sheet failed to make mention of the slur towards Cowboys’ Kyle Feldt during the clash against the Warriors on Friday night.
In the footage, a Warriors player appears to yell out, “get up Kyle you ‘f----t’”, after Feldt stayed down with an injury midway through the second half of the Warriors’ 25-24 win in golden point.
The player could still face sanctioning by the NRL’s match review committee and could also be punished under the NRL’s code of conduct instead of the match review committee. Warriors skipper Addin Fonua-Blake was fined $20,000 for breaching the NRL’s Anti Vilification Code during his foul-mouthed tirade against referee Grant Atkins when playing for the Sea Eagles in 2020. He was also suspended for two games.
The NRL spent Saturday looking at video footage and listening to the referee’s microphone after the video surfaced of the slur on Friday night.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George said the footage was “inconclusive” and people would “struggle” to attribute the comment to any of their players.
North Queensland football boss Micheal Luck scoffed at suggestions the comment may have come from the Cowboys camp.
“The first I heard of it was when I saw the news (on Saturday morning),” he said. “We will leave the matter to the NRL and see what their investigation comes up with.”
The incident occurred moments before Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes kicked a penalty goal after Marcelo Montoya was placed on report for a dangerous tackle on North Queensland’s Peta Hiku.
Former South Sydney hooker Isaac Luke was fined $10,000 ($5000 suspended) and was required to undergo an education program after making a homophobic slur directed towards a fan on social media in 2015.
Cowboys ‘horror show’ ends in cheers for Warriors veteran
-Joel Gould
Warriors superstar Shaun Johnson celebrated his 100th career win with a stunning golden point field goal to secure a memorable 25-24 win over the devastated North Queensland Cowboys.
After missing with his previous two field goal attempts, Johnson nailed a low 30m kick in the 83rd minute at Redcliffe to prove the saviour Warriors fans had hoped he would be.
Johnson was quiet at stages but when the game was on the line, he put his hand up to be the main man.
Three decisive match-winning plays by Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita proved crucial in a game the visitors will wonder how they possibly lost.
Dominant with the ball for most of the clash, the Cowboys made crucial errors at key moments and failed to make the most of a mountain of possession in the opposition quarter.
Harris-Tavita set up a try on the cusp of halftime for Josh Curran with a booming 40/20 and then again in the second stanza with a perfect cut-out pass for a Euan Aitken try. At the death, the everywhere playmaker dived on a kick to secure possession near the line when the Cowboys threatened to snatch victory.
“I love the Warriors,” an emotional Johnson told Fox League after the match. “The fact that I am over here without my family motivates me more to do the right thing and get wins on the board so we can return home at the end of the year with a smile on our faces.”
Warriors skipper Addin Fonua-Blake said Johnson once again proved his match-winning ways.
“You can’t put an old head on young shoulders,” Fonua-Blake said. “Last year we lost a few games like this and he is just steering the ship and ices that one. It’s not his best kick but it goes over and gets us the two points.”
Cowboys coach Todd Payten said the try on halftime left him with a sick feeling in his stomach, like “a horror show unfolding in slow motion”.
“I think we gift-wrapped the game and handed it to the Warriors,” he said. “For large parts of the game we were in control but through our poor discipline ... we are sitting there and down on life.”
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater had a roller coaster night in his first game of the season and was in everything from the get-go.
The 24-year-old has an error or two in him, and made a couple, but his attacking weaponry is explosive.
Cowboys five-eighth Tom Dearden has been one of the form players in the NRL this year and headed into the game with the competition’s equal best try assists with seven. It was his brave running game that featured in the opening try when a show and go near the line saw him power past Shaun Johnson to score.
Johnson set up barnstorming Jesse Arthars with a pinpoint pass to get the Warriors ahead 6-4 before the Cowboys took control and built pressure superbly. Drinkwater chased a Chad Townsend grubber with absolute commitment and Kyle Feldt finished a cracking length of the field movement after Murray Tualagi swooped on a Johnson cut-out pass.
Two tries either side of halftime got the Warriors back to 18-all courtesy of Harris-Tevita.
Drinkwater leapt out of the defensive line two minutes into the second half for Kodi Nikorima to stroll over after Tualagi had knocked on from the kick-off. He made up for it minutes later to set up in-form Val Holmes before more Harris-Tavita and Johnson magic sealed the deal.
SUPER CHANEL
Harris-Tavita has kept Nikorima out of a starting halves position and he showed why. The best halves come up with the big plays when their team needs them and the 23-year-old was on song in both attack and defence. It was Johnson who had the magic moment as only he can but his halves partner was a perfect foil in the big moments
DAREDEVIL DRINKY
Drinkwater’s box of tricks is a spectator’s dream and keeps his coach on the edge of his seat. A freakish slips catch from a Johnson kick, a scintillating kick-return, a cross-field speculative kick and suite of cut-out passes. They all featured, along with a defensive howler.
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