FROM the probing John Hopoate to the peeing Russell Packer and Danny Williams' king hit, these are the dirtiest acts in rugby league.

SAM'S SQUIRREL GRIP

THE refs missed it and so did the commentators - but Will Chambers certainly didn't. The Melbourne Storm centre was left rolling around on the ground in pain after Rabbitohs forward Sam Burgess reached between his legs in a tackle and appeared to have a bit of a squeeze.

Punishment: Two-game suspension with an early guilty plea.



HOPPA AND HIS DIGIT

APPARENTLY, John Hopoate was just confused. He thought he was giving Cowboys players Glenn Morrison, Peter Jones and Paul Bowman a wedgie when he stuck his finger up their behinds in the same game in 2001. Jones saw it a little differently: "It wasn't a wedgie. That's when your pants are pulled up your arse. I think I know the difference between a wedgie and someone sticking their finger up my bum."

Punishment: 12-week ban and ultimately released from the Wests Tigers.

media_camera John Hopoate gives a Cowboys player a "wedgie".



LAFFRANCHI GETS A FACIAL

GOLD Coast's Anthony Laffranchi returns to the field against the Sharks in 2008 heavily bandaged after suffering a nasty head wound. So what does Paul Gallen do? Rake at Laffranchi's face, of course, thus causing more blood and forcing Laffranchi from the field again for the blood bin. Genius!

Punishment: Three-week suspension but he did get off for allegedly "squeezing the wheels" of Josh Graham in the same game.

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Burgess accepts two-game ban

PACKER TAKES A LEAK

WHEN you gotta go, you gotta go. Except in the middle of a football field where thousands of people are watching and at least one camera is trained on you. Didn't stop Warriors prop Russell Packer earlier this season in a game against the Broncos, though. On a positive note, it made headlines for the NRL around the world. No such thing as bad publicity.

Punishment: $15,000 fine.

media_camera Warriros prop Russell Packer takes a leak on the field.



LES BOYD'S ELBOW

WELCOME to State of Origin, Big Marn. Darryl Brohman's Maroons debut was met with a flying Les Boyd elbow that shattered his jaw and fractured their relationship to this day. Brohman missed the rest of the 1983 season, played just one more Origin game and never played a Test. "At the end of the day he doesn't like me and I don't like him," Brohman says.

Punishment: Boyd was suspended for 12 months and Brohman sued him for $30,000.





media_camera Darryl Brohman nurses a broken jaw.

DANNY WILLIAMS' KING HIT

DOCTORS claimed Melbourne Storm forward Danny Williams was suffering post-traumatic amnesia when he committed the brain snap to end all brain snaps and rushed to king hit Mark O'Neill in 2004. O'Neill was out cold, Williams sent off and the game of rugby league left nursing yet another black eye - and a concussion.

Punishment: 18-game ban and Williams was never seen in the NRL again.

media_camera The Tigers' Mark O'Neill lies is knocked out cold after being king hit by Storm's Danny Williams. Picture: Gregg Porteous



LINNANE EYE GOUGE

FORMER Dragons halfback Steve Linnane's career was overshadowed by this one unsavoury incident in 1987. It has been said he almost pulled Greg Alexander's eye right out of his head.

Punishment: 20-week suspension.



BILLY GETS BITTEN

THINGS got heated in the 2012 grand final between the Storm and the Bulldogs, but Canterbury forward James Graham let the emotion get the better of him. During a scuffle between the players on the sideline, Graham grabbed Melbourne fullback Billy Slater and looks to have a fair nibble of his ear, although he denied it.

Punishment: 12-match ban.

media_camera James Graham gives Billy Slater his best Mike Tyson impression. Source: Channel 9

MORE DIRT...



Fox Sports rugby league historian Ian Collis has also offered up these grubby incidents:



- IN 1945, Newtown captain Frank Farrell reportedly bit off a good portion of St George player Bill McRitchie’s ear.



- CANTERBURY player Terry Lamb viciously attacked the head of Balmain match-winner Ellery Hanley off the ball in back play, changing the course of the 1988 Grand Final and deciding the premiership for that year.



- MANLY's John Bucknell broke Souths captain John Sattler’s jaw in an off-the-ball incident in the 1970 Grand Final.



- ALSO in 1970, the World Cup Final between Australia and Great Britain was dubbed “The Battle of Leeds” in a vicious match. Fists, feet and elbows flew in tackle after tackle with running battles crisscrossing the field and play constantly stopped for foul play. It was fitting at fulltime as Australian fullback Eric Simms offered his hand to an opponent that it was met with a flurry of punches instead.

Bring back the biff



- 1973 was a vicious year in the competition. Mal Reilly (Manly) and George Piggins (Souths) stood toe to toe at the SCG in a match of the day with fists flying, gouging and whatever else dished out in one the dirtiest one-on-one fights in the game’s history. Just a few months later the grand final between Manly and Cronulla was a running battleground as both teams dished out rough house tactics.



- THE 1977 Grand Final replay between St George and Parramatta saw St George adopt strong arm tactics to unsettle their highly fancied opposition. St George lock forward Rod Reddy seemed to take a dislike to his opposite Ray Price, singling him out for special treatment on numerous occasions.



- A 1981 finals match between Manly and Newtown erupted just five minutes in with rival forwards Steve Bowden and Mark Broadhurst standing toe to toe in a sickening confrontation while mayhem erupted around them as most players joined in other skirmishes.

Originally published as Rugby league's dirtiest acts