JOHN Hopoate went on KISS FM on Friday morning to accuse the Forestville Ferrets of provoking him with a vile racial slur while playing for the Narraweena Hawks.

He told the NSW Rugby League judiciary on Wednesday he was caught on video throwing a coward punch and making violent threats as he was sent off because he was called a “black monkey” during a Manly A-grade game in July.

The 44-year-old also pleaded guilty to threatening an opponent from the sideline and abusing officials and was subsequently banned from playing, coaching or acting as an official for 10 years.

He made no mention of the slur at the time of the incident to either foxsports.com.au or the match officials.

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The Ferrets, a rugby league club on Sydney’s northern beaches, were privately seething over the accusation but were going to let the matter lie as they saw it as an act of desperation from a man with a long rap sheet.

But when the club was informed they had been misrepresented on Kyle and Jackie O’s popular morning breakfast show, they wasted no time issuing a strongly-worded statement.

“Hopoate’s decision to make these public comments only after the judiciary’s decision puts his integrity in question,” it reads.

John Hopoate threatens an opponent (L) after coward-punching him in a confrontation. Source: Supplied

“In the week after the incident John Hopoate attended Forestville A-grade training and apologised to every player for his actions and shook their hands.

“He apologised for acting like an (expletive) idiot and offered reasons for his actions that had nothing to do with the game … at no time did he mention any racial issues when interacting with the players.”

The club also confirmed the player dangerously tackled by Hopoate and his teammate, who was the target of the coward punch and threats, are of Pacific Island and indigenous descent.

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“To suggest that any of the players involved in the two tackles he was on the field for made racist comments is as insulting as it is ridiculous,” the Forestville JRLFC wrote.

When asked what Hopoate’s reasons were for his blow-up, club president Scott Newman said it was too vulgar for print but was a personal matter to Hopoate and had nothing to do with the Ferrets players.

“As we said in the statement though, we take exception to his accusation being a proudly inclusive club.”