The NRL is investigating an incident between Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney that occurred during the Bulldogs’ 36-12 win over the Knights.
A heated verbal exchange between the two players, which was the catalyst for a melee, saw them both sin-binned in the second half.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: NRL stars almost come to blows in heated tunnel exchange.
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They were separated and both left the field, but came to blows again in the tunnel as support staff had to step in to break the pair up.
Footage of the incident shows Hetherington appearing to shape up to Mahoney like a boxer, in what looked like something of a joke, given the smile printed across the Knights forward’s face.
But things suddenly got serious when Hetherington threw a swinging hand at Mahoney’s upper chest.
“(It) looks a little bit like they are joking, but then serious,” Braith Anasta said on Fox Sports.
Corey Parker wasn’t sure whether it was serious or not.
“When you watch this vision, both of them were in a heated argument on the field,” he said.
“The referee was going to leave them on the field. He then opted to send them for 10 in the bin and then we see the footage.
“It is hard to see whether Hetherington is joking. He has got a smile on his face, but well and truly pushes Reed.
“Reed was not real sure what to do. He was shaping up. He was bouncing. I don’t know if they are good mates or not.”
But Anasta was left with no doubt.
“I don’t think they are (joking),” Anasta replied.
“I know Jack quite well and although he may look like he is geeing up I don’t think he is. I think he is serious.”
Knights coach Adam O’Brien was asked about the ugly scene after the match, but claimed he wasn’t aware of any altercation.
“No, nothing, I don’t even know what you are talking about,” O’Brien said.
Pressed further by another reporter who said, “There is vision of Jack coming at Reed Mahoney,” O’Brien stood firm in his ignorance.
“I don’t know anything about this,” O’Brien said.
Not only that, O’Brien said he didn’t even know why the pair of players were sin-binned.
“I don’t know what they both got sin-binned for,” O’Brien said.
“I was sitting in the box. Was it for carrying on with it, verbally?
“I don’t know it is just another example that we are playing frustrated at the moment and this other stuff I don’t know anything about it.”