Warriors star banned for homophobic slur said to Cowboys player
An NRL star has been hit with a lengthy ban following a judiciary hearing into an offensive slur that was caught by a microphone.
Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya has been banned for four matches after he used a homophobic slur when yelling at a Cowboys star on Friday night.
Montoya was sent straight to face an NRL judiciary hearing on Tuesday, having made a public apology on Sunday after he was charged by the NRL for the derogatory comment hurled at Kyle Feldt during the Warriors’ 25-24 win.
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Montoya apologised again on Tuesday night after the judiciary handed down a four-week ban.
“Obviously in the heat of the moment on the footy field things are said and I totally understand and accept that the word I used is unacceptable,” he said.
“It is something that is definitely out of my character. It was definitely a poor choice of words. There was no intention by me to offend anyone or offend Kyle. It was just the heat of the moment and it was just a word that come out.
“I used the word to get under his skin or to just upset him. It wasn’t used to refer to his sexuality at all. I am not a homophobe and gays in the community are valued. That is my position. I take full responsibility for that and I am ready for whatever is to come next.”
The slur was picked up by the referee’s microphone.
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