Storm star Brandon Smith has been referred directly to the judiciary for misconduct for the verbal flogging he gave referee Adam Gee in Thursday night’s clash with the Sharks.
Smith was sent to the trash to deliver a verbal diatribe to the referee after he got up to play the ball in the 60th minute. who was scolding him.
The star utility sought out Gee after the game to apologize, but his contrition may not be enough to save him from a long ban.
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“I lost my temper and it’s very disappointing on my part,” Smith said after the game.
“Not only did I drop myself, but also all my teammates. That’s not good enough on my behalf.
Storm star Brandon Smith argues with a Sharks fan after he was stored for sin. (new)
“Then I came in and apologized. I lost my temper at that moment, and I have to be better than that. [Gee] Everything was fine, he just said, “I can’t do it,” and I said, “I’m sorry, I got you frustrated.” I was probably angry with my own performance.
“I’m sure [coach Craig Bellamy] he will be disappointed in me. I disappointed the team and he has a first team mentality. I didn’t show that.
“I’ll let someone else tell you what I said.”
The ugly incident came on an unusually poor night for Melbourne, with the perennial unrivaled contenders for the Sharks in a 28-6 defeat.
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Cronulla’s victory put them level on the competition table with the Storm with 24 points, with both sides comfortably fitted into the top four.
Smith was not the only player cited by the match review committee outside of Thursday night’s clash, with Britain’s Nikora de Cronulla hit with a Grade 2 dangerous contact load for an entry to Melbourne’s Kenny Bromwich . Nikora will be suspended for a match with an early guilty plea.
The Sharks team, Andrew Fifita, was also charged, but will escape with a fine for a dangerous throw at Smith that caused the former NSW star to be trapped by sin in the death stages.
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