The NRL have confirmed ban notices have been handed to two spectators accused of racial remarks directed at South Sydney Rabbitohs players during Saturday's game against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Kogarah.
The spectators in question have five days to respond to the notice handed out by the NRL, with the Rabbitohs confirming earlier this week the behaviour had been reported to the NRL and that police had also been involved.
In a statement, the NRL said the ban notice was for an "indefinite period."
The National Rugby League (NRL) has issued banning notices to two people following alleged racial abuse of South Sydney Rabbitohs players at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium," the NRL wrote.
"The NRL alleges disparaging comments were directed towards the players during the course of the match between St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
"The NRL has issued a notice of intention to ban for an indefinite period to the patrons under the NRL Spectator Code of Conduct."
The Rabbitohs have already moved to support the notices.
โWe welcome the NRL's stance and the banning of these two perpetrators," club CEO Blake Solly said in a statement released by the Rabbitohs.
โWe applaud the members of the public that stood up and called out this disgraceful behaviour. We hope more people show the bravery that this person has shown to call out racism in an effort to eradicate it from our society.
โWe thank the NRL, the St George Illawarra Dragons and New South Wales Police for their efforts on this case.
โWe continue to support our players and their families who, unfortunately, still have to face this type of behaviour. Racism is archaic, disgusting and will not be tolerated.
โWe call for supporters who attend games to respect all players and their efforts on the field.โ
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said there was no place for racism in the game, and that the NRL's code of conduct for spectators was clear in these matters.
โRacism must be called out in all its forms because the standard you walk past is the standard you accept,โ Abdo said.
โAbusive behaviour directed at players will not be tolerated. I commend the fans that acted on this and brought it to our attention. With this information we have been able to take action.
โAttending a rugby league match should be a positive, welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. We want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy the experience.
โThe Spectator Code of Conduct has been set up specifically to deal with instances like this and we will continue to take action against any patron who displays offensive or anti-social behaviour.
โWe have a strong system in place which enables us to deal with these types of comments quickly and decisively. The system also enables other spectators to be confident enough to report inappropriate comments, which in this case has allowed us to act.
โAs a game we need to stand with our players and ensure they are treated with respect at all times. We will continue to protect players in their place of work.โ
It's not the first incident involving Mitchell, who was targetted by spectators during a game against the Penrith Panthers last year.
