The Bintangor Goroka Lahanis winger Amos Kafare has been suspended by the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) Judiciary for 3 years after pleading guilty to detrimental conduct. The Match Review Committee referred the player directly to the Judiciary to determine the appropriate penalty. The incident occurred in the match against WNBPG Kimbe Cutters earlier this season. The player was sent off from the field. He was charged with detrimental conduct which involved him making a deliberate and unnecessary contact with a match official. He is suspended for three years and is not eligible to play in any sanctioned competition until after 28 April 2027. General Manager of Pathways and Performance Tony Archer explained, “This type of behaviour towards our match officials is an extremely serious matter.” “They should never be treated in this manner, as a game and organization we will never tolerate it.” "The independent judiciary process reinforced this position. We have worked closely with the club since the incident. I would like to commend the club for how they have dealt with this matter.” “Amos immediately pleaded guilty and sought time, which was granted to prepare a submission knowing the large penalty he was facing. That is the reason for the delay and Amos has not played since the incident,” Archer said. A focus of the 2024 season has seen an increase vigilance on foul play in the competition. In the first 8 rounds over 60 players have been charged and suspended with various on-field offences. “We will continue to work hard on identifying foul play incidents in matches. We have seen the referees correctly sin bin and send off several players for foul play incidents,” said Archer. He added that many of these incidents occur because of the tackling technique they are using. Archer said, “Dave Westley from our team is working closely with clubs and players to improve this. We will continue to develop the skills of our coaches and players through education whilst still holding players responsible for their on-field action.”