‘This is ugly… that’s not on’: Sickening moment footy star George Burgess EYE GOUGES his opponent in ‘crude’ on-field incident that has fans calling for him to be banned for LIFE
- George Burgess has been slammed for allegedly eye gouging his opponent
- Burgess appeared to pin Robbie Farah to the ground with his fingers on his eyes
- The Tigers beat the Rabbitohs 14-9 but the game was marred by the crude attack
South Sydney Rabbitohs star George Burgess has come under fire after appearing to eye gouge his opponent in a ‘crude’ on-field attack.
The incident occurred about seven minutes into the match at Bankwest Stadium, in Sydney’s west, when Burgess helped his teammate tackle West Tigers veteran Robbie Farah on Thursday night.
The 27-year-old appeared to pin Farah to the ground by covering his eyes with his fingers and pushing in.
South Sydney Rabbitohs star George Burgess (right) has been slammed for allegedly eye gouging his opponent in a ‘crude’ on-field attack
The 35-year-old Tigers hooker complained to referee Adam Gee, who put Burgess on report.
‘When he’s on the ground, there’s fingers all in the face and all around the eyes. It’s on report,’ referee Adam Gee told Rabbitohs’ Cody Walker.
The Tigers won the game 14-9 but the victory was marred by the eye gouge, with viewers criticising Burgess for his unsportsmanlike technique.
‘George Burgess just ensured another 5,000 kids will never play rugby league… second offence in the past eight months, should get life,’ one person said.
‘Rabbitohs what’s happening? George Burgess, get out of the game if the best you can do is eye gouge,’ said another.
Furious viewers called on the Rabbitohs and the NRL to hand Burgess a lengthy suspension.
‘George Burgess should be sent off and suspended for 20 weeks minimum. That’s disgraceful,’ one person said.
‘Disgraceful by George Burgess. He should be banned for a long time for that.’
Souths coach Wayne Bennett said he was disappointed by the incident but could not determine if it was definitely an eye gouge.
In footage from Thursday evening’s game, the 27-year-old appeared to pin Robbie Farah to the ground by covering his eyes with his fingers and pushing in
‘There was just no need to put himself in that position to start,’ Bennett said.
‘I can’t definitely say it was an eye gouge or what it was. But it was definitely a hand on the face there’s no doubt about that, I thought it was more on the forehead.
‘I’m not condemning him for it in that I don’t know whether his fingers actually made contact with the eye or not. The point is it was totally unwarranted anyway.’
In a post-match interview Farah told ABC Grandstand Burgess had apologised.
‘He (Burgess) obviously apologised and said he didn’t mean it,’ Farah said.
‘At the time I thought it was a pretty poor thing. I’ll leave it in the hands of the judiciary.’
The Englishman is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban if charged as it’s the second time in less than a year he’s has been accused of an eye gouge.
Burgess was banned four games after a similar attack on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, during England’s test against New Zealand at the end of 2018.
The NRL match review committee on Friday morning charged the Rabbitohs prop with dangerous contact to the eye of Tigers veteran Robbie Farah on Thursday.
This is the second time in less than a year Burgess has been accused of an eye gouge. He was banned four games after a similar attack on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, during England’s test against New Zealand