Josh McGuire's 12-game ban came after rival reported slur against family member

08 June 2023 , 10:18

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Leigh's Josh Charnley, left, and Warrington's Josh McGuire, right (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Josh McGuire's 12-game ban came after Leigh winger Josh Charnley reported the Warrington star for making a slur about a family member.

The controversial Aussie forward copped one of the biggest suspensions in Super League history on Tuesday. The ex-Kangaroos star, 33, was found guilty of using "unacceptable language" in last month’s loss against Leigh. And the RFL has now released details from the operational rules tribunal that ruled on the former Queensland State of Origin represenative who's had a chequered past with disciplinary chiefs.

It revealed Charnley was “visibly emotional” after McGuire said something to the ex-Warrington and England winger following a tackle. Charnley, 31, was clear he is “indifferent about most insults and bad language used in a tempestuous game” but the words being “personal to a member of his family” gave him no alternative but to report the matter. Tribunal minutes say that the word used was “derogatory and negative - term of abuse and disparagement towards disabled individuals” and that prompted the unacceptable language charge.

World Cup winner McGuire pleaded not guilty and argued he never said the word. But the tribunal ruled he was not telling the truth and his account “lacked credibility.” The ex-Brisbane Broncos player had already been banned for seven games for an earlier unacceptable language charge after being red carded on his debut in February’s friendly versus Leigh. McGuire, who is considering appealing and faces an uncertain future at Warrington, did admit he called Charnley “a rat” due to a previous incident in that game.

David Craven