Josh Reynolds caused a storm during Canterbury’s victory over the Dragons last weekend when he confronted referee Grant Atkins at half time.
It has now been revealed the match review committee were initially content to let the incident slide, until an intervention from NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo forced a second review into the matter which resulted in Reynolds copping a charge.
Josh Reynolds apologises for outburst at referee
After being charged for contrary conduct for his outburst at the referee, Reynolds has offered an apology for his behaviour.
"I am really sorry for all the kids that had to hear that," he told Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
"It’s obviously not a great look. I love being a role model for the young kids but I’m a passionate person.
"I care about the result, every battle and every single play I am in.
"Costing my team a penalty like that kills me. Hopefully, people can understand that I was fairly riled up."
Reynolds stated that his outburst at the ref was nothing personal and just a case of the situation getting the better of him.
"I’ll be honest and say that I wish I chose my wording a bit better," he said.
"I really do mean that - 100 per cent.
"To clear everything up, it wasn’t an actual personal attack on the ref. It wasn’t about him at all. It was more about the situation.
"I’m sure people can understand that, in the heat of battle, as a player, I’m allowed to ask a question and I’m allowed to have an opinion on that call."
What did Josh Reynolds say to Grant Atkins?
The fiery playmaker ran up to the official to ask him why he had been penalised for a tackle only moments earlier before Atkins took exception to what Reynolds said to him.
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“What did I do?” Reynolds asked after being penalised for his tackle on Tyrell Sloan.
“I thought you got him in the back of the head on the way down,” Atkins responded.
“Bulls*** I hit him in the back of the head,” Reynolds shouted which immediately sparked a confrontation between the pair.
"Go away! I'm not speaking to you for the rest of the game."
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The referee was NOT having it with Josh Reynolds! 😡
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“If this bloke speaks to me like this again, he’s going to the bin,” Atkins told captain Reed Mahoney while Reynolds was still alongside him.
“You take the 10 minutes (halftime) now to work it out because if he comes at me again about anything, he goes.”
Reynolds tried to argue his case but both Atkins and Mahoney waved him away with the five-eighth dishing out a serve to the touch judge on his way off the field.
Andrew Abdo requested a second investigation into Josh Reynolds incident
Reynolds was eventually hit with a grade-one contrary conduct charge for his abuse towards an official, but only after Abdo had requested the match review committee to look into the incident for a second time.
"There is a process under the judiciary rules that allows the board and CEO of a club or game to ask for the match review committee to further review an incident," NRL head of football, Graham Annesley, said on Monday.
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"That is a normal part of our process and has been used in the past. It comes down to making sure things don't fall through the cracks."
Josh Reynolds charged
Reynolds has pleaded guilty to the charge and has copped a $1,000 fine for his interaction with Atkins.
He was also hit with a second charge for his tackle on Sloan, which also incurred a $1,000 fine for grade one dangerous contact.
