The NRL and NSW government are set to join forces in a bid prevent a repeat of scenes at a recent junior rugby league match where the crowd and players became involved in a ugly brawl.
An under 19s match in Penrith in Sydney's west last Saturday erupted into a bloody mess, with reports up to 40 players and spectators were engaged in a fight that is still under investigation by the Penrith District Rugby League and NSW Police.
The incident sparked calls for stricter laws governing spectator behaviour at junior matches, with the NRL issuing a statement on Sunday offering its help to the NSW Rugby League.
"Penrith District Rugby League is dealing with what is an isolated issue, albeit a serious one, in conjunction with the NSW Police and we are closely monitoring that situation," NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden said.
"We would encourage the police to take every possible action to protect the right of people to go and watch junior sport in peace.
"NRL CEO, Dave Smith, has contacted me today and has offered the resources of the NRL Integrity Unit to assist in any way possible.
"Sadly, this case highlights the problems that all junior sports can face and we need to send a strong message."
But while the NSWRL through its leagues can take strong action against offending players and officials, controlling crowd behaviour is another issue.
It has led to the NSWRL seeking the assistance of the NSW government amid fears of a repeat incident in coming weeks.
"NSW Sports Minister Graham Annesley has indicated he would be prepared to discuss the issues with us further and we will certainly be looking to raise the matter with the NSW Government," Trodden said.
"There are very good player and spectator codes in place across our game as well as NSW Government Sports Rage programs, but it remains a big challenge for volunteer officials to manage what are policing issues in any other circumstance."
