A wild all-in between the Dragons and Sharks during their opening-round derby clash has seen Jesse Ramien sent to the bin as players from both sides went at it at Jubillee Stadium.
The Sharks outmuscled the Dragons in a heated 32-18 but it was the moment of Ramien's sin-binning which took the cake on Sunday night as tensions hit boiling point.
It all kicked off when St George Illawarra fullback Matt Dufty returned the footy and Ramien, the third man in, clobbered him with a swinging arm in the 19th minute.
Dragons prop Blake Lawrie immediately began manhandling Ramien and a giant scuffle broke out, with players from both sides tearing in from all directions.
While no punches were thrown it was an ugly incident that is sure to catch the eye of the NRL judiciary, with Ramien immediately sent to the bin for his role in kicking off the fracas.
"It incites a riot, it was a little bit high. He hit him in the head," rugby league great Steve Roach said in commentary for Fox Sports.
"A couple of the Saints blokes didn't like it, but he did get hit in the head that's why they've all retaliated.
"It was very aggressive the way he comes in with the swinging arm."
Fox Sports caller Warren Smith added: "I don't know what Ronaldo Mulitalo was doing running in from the left wing right on the death as if he was flying in on the top rope."
A second-half fightback saw the Dragons threatened to steamroll their rivals when Dufty pulled off a phenomenal 50-metre solo try in the 54th minute, which Zac Lomax converted to cut the deficit to 14-12.
But the Sharks then ran in three of the last four tries, through Ronaldo Mulitano, Will Kennedy and Aaron Woods.
The Sharks' win has released some pressure off underfire coach John Morris, while the Dragons' loss has seen Anthony Griffin mark his first match as coach on an ugly note.
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