Warriors fan grabbed by Gordon Chan Kum Tong speaks out, urges NRL not to sanction Manly player

Sources allege the Warriors fan that was grabbed by Manly hooker Gordon Chan Kum Tong in a sideline confrontation had been heckling the club’s bench during the game. WATCH THE VIDEO

Two Warriors supporters embroiled in an off-field drama at Go Media Stadium allegedly told Manly players “F … you” when asked to stop sledging star players Jake Trbojevic and Tolu Koula.

The NRL integrity unit NRL is investigating the ugly sideline incident where one of the two Warriors fans was grabbed and reprimanded by Manly player Gordon Chan Kum Tong during Friday night’s game in Auckland.

Sources close to the NRL claim the two fans were constantly heckling and sledging Manly’s NRL bench players and NSW Cup side, who were seated nearby. The two fans were seated just behind Manly’s players.

Sea Eagles security Mick Malligan told Go Media Stadium authorities of the ongoing slurs but no action was taken.

Trbojevic was allegedly targeted while sin-binned.

Several Manly NSW Cup players told the pair to “show some respect” but the castigation continued with Koula, who was out injured, copping the brunt of the sledging.

That’s when the two fans allegedly told Manly’s NSW Cup players to “F … you” and “F … off.”

Chan Kum Tong had asked the pair to quieten down earlier in the game.

The two Warriors fans were allegedly sledging players the entire game and are understood to sit in the same seats for each Warriors home game.

One onlooker said the fans were “in Jake’s face”. The pair raced down on the fence perimeter heckling Manly players each time one was replaced.

Other visiting NRL clubs have also spoken previously about encountering security issues at Go Media Stadium.

The Warriors fan who was grabbed by Chan Kum Tong in the sideline confrontation has spoken out for the first time, urging the NRL not sanction the Manly hooker.

WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE

The incident, which was captured on video, showed Chan Kum Tong grabbing the fan by the jersey before a second Warriors supporter intervened to separate the two.

The man who intervened, believed to be the father of the fan who was grabbed by Chan Kum Tong, posted a video of his son on social media on Sunday, in which he denied that he had heckled or abused Trbojevic as he went up the tunnel.

At one point in the video, a voice could be heard yelling: “Thank you Jurbo, thank you Jurbo”, as Trbojevic left the field.

“Kiora, I’m the guy who was collared by the Manly player at the Friday night game,” he said in the video posted by his father Zane Wedding. “I have been going to NRL games since I was a little kid. I have sat in those seats for a decade now. I know the difference between sledging and banter.

“When Jake Trbojevic was sin binned you can clearly see in the video that I was not disrespectful, did not swear or sledge him at all.”

Manly star Gordon Chan Kum Tong involved in sideline confrontation with a Warriors fan.

The man said that while he believed Chan Kum Tong had done the wrong thing by ‘collaring’ him, he did not want to see the 23-year-old sanctioned by the NRL.

“I want to say that I don’t believe he should face any major repercussions from this, as a result of this.” he said.

“I understand that at no point should he have collared me or tried to take my phone but I don’t think he should face any major repercussions like a suspension or at worse lose this job over it.”

No charges have been laid in relation to the incident.

Originally published as Warriors fan grabbed by Gordon Chan Kum Tong speaks out, urges NRL not to sanction Manly player