If the Sharks do not take firm action, the NRL is set to step in as officials want to send a clear message that the game will not tolerate the abuse of referees at any level. Many in the game feel an eight-match ban would be the appropriate penalty as it would rule Fifita out of playing until after the grand final, if the Sharks were to qualify. Cronulla stood down Fifita and brother David last Monday after the Penrith DJRL handed down its findings into the matter, which included 12-month suspensions for the twins. David Fifita, who also plays for the Sharks, has accepted the ban - the second time he has been suspended for 12 months by the Penrith DJRL over an incident involving a referee - but Andrew is disputing the allegations against him. According to his submission, Fifita said the incident occurred after his brother, who was acting as an on-field trainer for St Patricks Blacktown, approached the referee to take issue with a decision to resume play before an injured player had left the field.

"People around me were screaming to David to stop," Fifita said. "They were also yelling at me to intervene. I walked out of the team area, into the crowd area and towards David. The game had finished by this stage. I said to David, 'Come on, give it a rest'. he started to walk away towards his family. Although he kept yelling, I had the impression that things were starting to calm down. "I then saw the referee go to his bag ... and get out his phone. I saw him holding the phone in front of him as though he was filming. The phone was pointed straight at me, not at David, who was a few metres away. I was upset that he was filming me. I yelled at the referee 'Delete the film or else I am going to snap your phone' and I started walking towards him. He kept filming, walking backwards and I kept walking towards him. I repeated what I said about deleting the film. "I tried to snatch the phone from him once, but didn't get it. I deny saying to the referee that I would 'smash him'. It is possible that I said that I would smash his phone [although the word I remember using is 'snap' not 'smash'. I also deny that people were 'holding me back' from the referee. My recollection is that there were people around yelling but no one was holding me." However, witness statements from officials from St Patrick's and their opponents, St Mary's, back up Hannon's version, in which he also alleged David Fifita had called him a "f---ing disgrace". "We've got witnesses from the St Pat's club who have come forward to provide witness statements," Penrith and District Junior Rugby League general manager Phil Cummingssaid. "They're officials from the club. They've been very open and honest in what they've supplied to us," Cummings told The Australian.

"They corroborate what the referees have said and they're along the lines of the same evidence and that's been supplied to the Cronulla club as well." The St Patrick's official was not sure if Fifita had said he would "smash" the referee or his phone. "I stepped between Andrew and the referee as he moved towards the referee," the witness statement said. "Andrew at this stage was asking for the referee's phone as he believed the altercation was being filmed. Andrew had made a comment to the effect: 'Stop recording or I'll smash ...' Again there was foul language used and directed towards the referee. "The referee was back peddling (sic) away from Andrew as he [Andrew] was moving towards him. I was trying to calm the situation and Andrew may have or not have said 'it or you'."