A NSW under 20s player who called Queensland lock Luke Bateman a ‘‘f---ing gay c---’’ will be investigated by the NRL match review committee.

The referee’s microphone picked up the homophobic slur from an unknown Blues player and it was broadcast to a television audience on Saturday night during the representative game at Penrith's Sportingbet Stadium.

Heated moment: Tempers flare during the under 20s State of Origin match on Saturday night. Credit:Getty Images

The match, won by NSW 30-8, was a spiteful affair with a scuffle breaking out between the teams in the 23rd minute and NSW prop Matthew Lodge was sent to the sin bin for his involvement in the fight. On the next play, Maroons winger John Folau was also sent off for 10 minutes for fighting.

The gay slur incident occurred less than a month after the NRL, along with the Australian Rugby Union, Football Federation Australia, the AFL and Cricket Australia, held a joint press conference to announce they were committed to ensuring homophobic slurs were not part of their sports. The codes agreed to introduce policies consistent with the newly created Anti-Homophobia and Inclusion Framework by the end of August.