{"id":176577,"date":"2025-09-29T02:55:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T02:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/176577\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T02:55:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T02:55:08","slug":"panthers-and-broncos-melee-liam-martin-penalised-ezra-mam-and-nathan-cleary-fight-punch-thrown-referee-decision-news-videos-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/176577\/","title":{"rendered":"Panthers and Broncos melee, Liam Martin penalised, Ezra Mam and Nathan Cleary fight, punch thrown, referee decision, news, videos, highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"

A controversial melee that proved to be a turning point for the Broncos has come under the microscope with Panthers star Liam Martin\u2019s actions delivering a hammer blow to the reigning premiers.<\/a><\/p>\n

With 25 minutes remaining in the contest, and Penrith holding a 14-6 lead, Nathan Cleary put up a kick but was hit late and in the air by Mam for what should have been a \u201cno-brainer\u201d penalty.<\/p>\n

Cleary took exception to that hit and struck out with an open palm, hitting Mam\u2019s face which sparked a melee as both Martin and Gehamat Shibasaki joined the wrestle.<\/p>\n

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The game continued for a moment, before referee Grant Atkins called a stoppage to analyse the incident, with initial fears multiple sin bins were looming. <\/p>\n

However, despite Mam sparking the conflict, the Broncos were awarded a penalty for Martin\u2019s heavy-handed actions and everyone involved avoided being their marching orders. Martin on Monday copped a $1000 fine over the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that is any other day of the week, that is a penalty from Ezra Mam taking out Nathan Cleary,\u201d league legend Cooper Cronk said on Fox League.<\/p>\n

Liam Martin earned the Panthers a shock penalty.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then Mam ignites it by shoving Cleary, then this man (Liam Martin) came in as well. Let them play they say. Liam Martin is on tilt here too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, commentator Andrew Voss said that \u201cpart of me is happy\u201d however he also added \u201cbut we can\u2019t be hypocrites\u201d.<\/p>\n

Similar incidents this season have resulted in sin bins, with both Reece Walsh and Hudson Young being marched after the Broncos fullback headbutted the Raiders back rower.<\/p>\n

That clash was a qualifying final, but the goalposts seemingly changed during Sunday\u2019s preliminary final.<\/p>\n

Speaking post-match, superstar fullback Reece Walsh remained coy about the melee, but did have a compliment for the Panthers\u2019 No.7.<\/p>\n

Broncos end Panthers NRL dynasty | 04:20<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Nath threw the first punch though, good to see Nath has got a big of dog in him,\u201d Walsh said on Sunday Night with Matty Johns.<\/p>\n

But for veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield, the Panthers only have themselves to blame.<\/p>\n

After Xavier Willison scored in the 69th minute before a Deine Mariner try, and an Adam Reynolds conversion delivered victory to the Broncos.<\/p>\n

Had Martin not escalated the situation and roughed up his opponents, Penrith would have been awarded a fresh set in strong field position, with a chance to put the contest to bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNathan Cleary has kicked, he is tackled in the air by Ezra Mam, penalty Penrith every day of the week,\u201d Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Broncos get the penalty and they score down the other end of the field. Why did the Broncos get the penalty? I can understand that.<\/p>\n

‘What’s over?’: Will the dynasty remain? | 08:50<\/p>\n

MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n

DYNASTY OVER: Reynolds\u2019 clutch kick ends Panthers\u2019 reign in 16-pt prelim miracle<\/a><\/p>\n

BRONCOS RATINGS: Haas herculean, Walsh recovers from blunder; Reynolds clutch<\/a><\/p>\n

PANTHERS RATINGS: Semi-final hero stands up again; Cleary below his best<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018WHAT\u2019S OVER?\u2019: Cleary defiant on dynasty as Panthers reflect on \u2018horrible\u2019 feeling<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t understand the ill discipline from Liam Martin who ran over and escalated the situation… and Cleary may have struck Ezra Mam, there\u2019s talk he might have thrown a punch.\u201d<\/p>\n

But despite Martin\u2019s actions, Rothfield still believed the Panthers should have been awarded the original penalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like what we saw in Canberra where Hudson Young was headbutted, sent to the sin bin and the Broncos got the penalty because of the way it was escalated,\u201d Rothfield said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, I am at the firm view that the NRL has to penalise the original offence… I sent you guys a photo which clearly shows Ezra Mam tackling him while he is in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a no-brainer penalty to Penrith, and if Liam Martin hadn\u2019t run in they would have got that penalty I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Blues coach Laurie Daley added: \u201cIt was a penalty every day of the week to Nathan,\u201d Daley said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A controversial melee that proved to be a turning point for the Broncos has come under the microscope…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176578,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-176577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}