St George-Illawarra Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa has issued an apology following his send-off for calling a match official a "c---" during the dying moments of a NSW Cup match on Friday night.
The incident occurred at WIN Stadium, where the Dragons faced a controversial ending against the Parramatta Eels.
With just two minutes left on the clock, the Eels were awarded a contentious winning try, sparking protests from Ravalawa and his teammates. They argued that the ball had been knocked on following a high kick before Matt Doorey touched down for Parramatta.
Despite their pleas, the referee upheld the decision.
The situation escalated when a sideline official marked the spot for the conversion, prompting Ravalawa to approach and allegedly abuse the touch judge. Sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the matter is pending with the governing body, confirmed that Ravalawa used the offensive term in frustration.
The sideline official promptly reported the incident to the referee, leading to Ravalawa's send-off.
The Fijian international immediately expressed remorse for his actions and sought out the match officials after the game to apologise.
"I apologised after the game," Ravalawa stated.
"It was not professional and I'm sorry."
Ravalawa now awaits the NSW Rugby League judiciary's decision, facing the likelihood of a lengthy suspension. The referee will submit a report on Monday, which will precede formal charges against Ravalawa.
The controversial Doorey try secured an 18-14 victory for the Eels. Ravalawa had earlier sparked a comeback with St George Illawarra's first try, but the match's ending marred his performance.
Having lost his spot in Shane Flanagan's NRL side, Ravalawa was playing his second NSW Cup match of the season. The incident is likely to prolong his absence from the top grade.