NRL referee Matt Cecchin has accused NSW Police of attacking his integrity before this year's State of Origin decider.
Cecchin was on Tuesday awarded the NRL grand final lead role alongside Gerard Sutton, just a day after the Police issued a public apology over an internet meme which depicted the referee in a Queensland jersey.
Cecchin made a complaint about the matter at the time and was informed last week he would receive the apology from the organisation's social media department.
"It was an attack on integrity, and integrity is very important to our squad," Cecchin said.
"I'll take this stance whether it's on the field or off the field.
"If someone attacks my integrity it's not acceptable."
In the apology, NSW Police -- who are known for their light-hearted approach on social media -- said the now-deleted post was meant as a joke.
"The NSWPF wishes to make clear it did not intend to make any serious assertion that Mr Cecchin was biased as a referee and only intended for the meme to be a lighthearted joke," the apology read.
"However, the NSWPF acknowledges that, in posting the meme, Mr Cecchin has suffered hurt and damage to his reputation.
"The NSWPF wishes to make clear it does not think Mr Cecchin is biased as a referee and withdraws any such suggestion unreservedly."
But Cecchin said while he understood the post was meant in jest, it simply wasn't good enough.
"It's not something I'm going to joke about, it's very serious," he said.
"You only have to look at the comments that were made that a lot of people didn't see it that way."
The apology comes in a tough month for NRL referees, after Manly and Cronulla were handed a combined $50,000 worth of breach notices for comments made against officials by their coaches.
And referees boss Tony Archer -- a former police prosecutor in NSW -- said he supported Cecchin's stance.
"I didn't see it funny at all, I was disappointed in it ... There is some integrity around the referees that needs to be maintained," Archer said.
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