- Soccer stars were involved in a heated fight
- The incident took place after the final whistle
- Melbourne Storm defeated Newcastle Knights
A heated fight between Jackson Hastings and Trent Loiero caused tensions to boil over following Melbourne’s dramatic victory over Newcastle on Sunday.
It is unclear what sparked the incident that led to Hastings pointing the finger at the Storm star after the final whistle, with the Knights failing to secure a stunning comeback.
‘We saw some scenes at the end of this game. Things boiled over for Knights running back Jackson Hastings,” Lara Pitt said on Fox League.
“There were obviously frustrations on both sides,” Corey Parker added.
“We see Jackson Hastings in the middle of all this with Trent Loiero.
Jackson Hastings (R) and Trent Loiero (L) were involved in a heated fight.
Melbourne Storm defeat Knights in dramatic contest at AAMI Park
“It’s no surprise to see both players playing with their hearts on their sleeves and you see Hastings pointing the finger.”
The Knights have recently proven difficult for the Storm, winning their last two meetings and scoring in the 76th minute to set up a soapbox finish to their Sunday afternoon clash.
Melbourne looked headed for a comfortable victory when they racked up three tries in 12 minutes in the second half to take a 34-16 lead.
With his father, former Illawarra Steelers and NSW star Rod Wishart, watching from the stands as part of the Storm’s family round, Tyran Wishart continued to prove a worthy replacement for injured playmaker Cameron Munster.
Wishart crossed twice in that 12-minute burst, using his running game to combine with Jahrome Hughes in the halves and cause headaches for the Knights.
Xavier Coates, recovering from Queensland’s Origin victory, scored the other try with a spectacular aerial effort to dive into the corner.
The visitors almost pulled off a notable turnaround, but were denied by the Storm.
Center Nick Meaney finished with a personal haul of 20 points, including two tries, five conversions and a penalty.
Newcastle, who lost by 30 points to Canterbury last week, continued to fight, with Dane Gagai taking on the Storm defense and winning to give his team a sniff.
Fellow center Dylan Lucas also scored a try in each half, and fullback Fletcher Sharpe scored a four-pointer on his NRL debut.
Enari Tuala missed a chance when Storm fullback Sua Faalogo fumbled the winger’s ball over the try line.
However, Tuala could not be denied a minute later after Jackson Hastings stunned with a cross kick at tackle one, with Hastings adding the extras to fall behind by six.
The Knights’ hopes were dashed when Tyson Frizell was called for a professional foul in the final minute after eliminating Wishart, and Meaney added two more points to put the game out of reach.