Referee, brother of former Rooster star Casty, king hit during match.

[Albert Rosenfeld]

The player who knocked a referee unconscious has been banned for life.

The French Federation handed out the suspension to St Esteve player Hedi Ouedjdi after he swung a punch at referee Benjamin Casty, brother of France international and Catalans Dragons captain Remi Casty, after being sent off in a cup semi-final against Toulouse last month.

"The player not only undermined the physical integrity of a referee, Benjamin Casty, but also tainted the image of a sport that had not experienced such a reprehensible act," said a spokesman.

"FFR XIII is determined not to grant any forgiveness to players, leaders or supporters who do not respect the decisions of a referee, whose difficult role is measured every weekend."

A video of the incident went viral when it appeared on YouTube and Ouedjdi could face more trouble, with Casty bringing a civil complaint.

https://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/player-banned-for-ref-attack/63469

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

This incident will have probably hurt the chances of Hedi Ouedjdi playing for Newcastle Knights next season. The burly centre might have played alongside Shaun Kenny-Dowall, but this incident, and the life ban in France, puts a lot of pressure on ace coach Nathan Brown to withdraw from any discussions that might have been planned for next week. Apart from the enormous respect which Nathan Brown has for the Casty family, Australia generally respects French life bans as a matter of protocol.

 

[Life's Good]

This incident will have probably hurt the chances of Hedi Ouedjdi playing for Newcastle Knights next season. The burly centre might have played alongside Shaun Kenny-Dowall, but this incident, and the life ban in France, puts a lot of pressure on ace coach Nathan Brown to withdraw from any discussions that might have been planned for next week. Apart from the enormous respect which Nathan Brown has for the Casty family, Australia generally respects French life bans as a matter of protocol.