Former NRL and North Queensland Cowboys player Emry Pere was sent off over the weekend after allegedly using a homophobic slur in the QLD Cup.
Sent off within the opening ten minutes during the clash between the Western Clydesdales (Pere's team) and Burleigh Bears, the reason behind Pere being given his marching orders has come to light.
“The words that I heard that you said, unacceptable and cannot be used on a football field,” the referee could be heard saying on the stream of the match, via News Corp.
“Emry, you're gone. It's a homophobic slur Emry and you cannot say that on a football field.”
It is understood that he could be heard saying the words "f---ing f----ot" over the referee's mic, per the publication.
A former North Queensland Cowboys player, Pere would only manage two NRL games but spent seven seasons with them after coming through their Under-20s team.
The one-time Maori All Stars representative would also spend one year with the Gold Coast Titans in 2023 before signing with the Western Clydesdales for this season.
So far this season, he has made 13 tackle busts, 267 tackles and 1062 running metres for the Clydesdales in the QLD Cup.
“He's very remorseful and he feels like he's let every person in the world down,” Clydesdales CEO Shane Sullivan said to News Corp.
“We are very supportive of Emry and it was a very out of character mistake that he's made, the situation was one that he's very regretful of and he was inconsolable in the changerooms after.
“He knows it's an error from his part and he certainly didn't mean it, there was a lot of banter between his ex-teammates and himself and he got pushed over and it slipped out.
“We're very supportive and very proud to have Emry as our captain and we know this is not his usual self, he'll certainly be better for having gone through this.”