Paul Gallen and Peter FitzSimons have gone head-to-head over Manly forward Addin Fonua-Blake's shocking outburst during his side's defeat to Newcastle last weekend.
Fonua-Blake was caught on camera calling referee Grant Atkins a "f***ing retard" and a "spastic" in the final seconds of Sunday's 14-12 loss.
He was hit with a $20,000 fine that will be donated to a wheelchair rugby league club after he was deemed to have breached the NRL's Anti-Vilification Code.
He'll also be suspended for two weeks after copping a grade three contrary conduct charge and will volunteer as a wheelchair rugby league referee.
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Things got heated between former Sharks captain Gallen and ex-Wallaby FitzSimons when discussing the incident on Sports Sunday on Channel Nine.
Gallen said he understood things said in the heat of the moment, but couldn't understand the second blow-up after the match.
"Manly officials and Addin Fonua-Blake should've known just to get him in the changing rooms," Gallen said.
"The fact that he was even in the area and allowed to mouth off again, that's where the issue laid for me.
"What happened on the field, happened on the field. If you're caught saying those things, you'll be punished accordingly, and he was.
"It's done now and we should move on."
FitzSimons, wasn't so sure, questioning how Fonua-Blake didn't know the terms he used were derogatory and urging him to "fess up, own up" and say sorry.
Gallen hit back: "we don't all live up here in Fitzy's ivory tower, mate.
"Down here in the real world, some things happen and are said in the heat of the moment. He said the wrongs things and he's been punished for it."
FitzSimons couldn't believe that Fonua-Blake didn't know his words were offensive.
"How can you believe that? That's absurd," he fired back.
"If he didn't know that these terms are derogatory, then why did he use them?
"If these terms had as much force as saying 'you're an apple' or 'you're a carrot' then why did he use them?"
Gallen responded: "He's probably heard them before from other people.
"I'm not agreeing with these terms and what he said, what I'm saying is that in the heat of the moment on the field, I can understand a blow up. He's had a blow up, and now he's being punished for it."
Watch their full head-to-head here.
GAL v FITZY 🔥🔥🔥@PaulGallen13 and @Peter_Fitz clash over the Addin Fonua-Blake incident.#9SportsSunday | Channel 9.#9WWOS #NRL pic.twitter.com/UOGPEAaM01
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) July 12, 2020
