NELSON Bay and former NSW under-20s breakaway Brendan Haddad faces a minimum one-year suspension if found guilty of knocking a touch judge to the ground.
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Haddad will front the judiciary on Wednesday night after an incident in the under-19 game between Nelson Bay and Merewether at Strong Oval on Saturday.
The incident happened in the second half and was filmed by BarTV Sports.
Nelson Bay players were gathered in-goal after conceding a try. Several players were involved in an exchange with the touch judge, who was a volunteer associated with the Merewether club.
There appeared to be contact between the official and a player before the second touch judge intervened and steered his colleague away.
Haddad, who was dressed in jeans and a club polo shirt, ran onto the field and down to the Nelson Bay players.
He spoke to a player and then made a beeline for the official, who was standing near the goal posts, and dropped a shoulder into the “Merewether” touch judge, who was left sprawling on the ground.
Haddad ran back to halfway and off the ground before allegedly being followed down the street by Merewether players and officials.
The touch judge was not seriously hurt.
Haddad later returned to Strong Oval and played in the second row for the Gropers in a 35-18 win over Merewether in first grade.
Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union (NHRU) said it could deal with the issue under one of three laws – 10.4 (s) physical abuse of a match official, 10.4 (m) acts contrary to sportsmanship, and the Australian Rugby Union code of conduct.
Under ARU guidelines, the penalty for physically abusing a match official, if graded at the low end, is 24 matches. A top-end offence incurs a 96-match ban.The matter may not end with Haddad.
Nelson Bay have lodged a formal protest to the NHRU over the actions of the touch judge in the lead-up to the incident.
NHRU general manager Andy Fairfull said that Haddad, the touch judge and Nelson Bay’s ground manager will front the judiciary to help “get to the bottom of what happened”.
“The matter will be fully investigated,” Fairfull said. “The judiciary will hear it, then work out the appropriate charge and any other mitigating factors.”
A former NSW Schoolboy, Haddad has returned to the Bay after a season with Newcastle University.
He represented NSW Country under-20s in 2014 and spent the following summer training with the NSW Gen Blue (under-20) squad.