The game was barely 30 seconds old when Bridge and Tarek Elrich were involved in a spot of push and shove after a challenge from the Jets wide man.

Bridge told The Herald that he reacted angrily because Elrich landed on his ankle. He said: “That's why I grabbed him. I said, 'What are you f***ing doing? The ball was half a metre away.'

"They know I've got weak ankles and I guess they really wanted to win.

"It's a dirty tactic, but it's a tactic. I'm disappointed in Dutchy, but once you cross that white line you do whatever you can to win the game."

Van Egmond said any suggestion that his team was sent out with the purpose of injuring a player was nonsense.

He said: "At the end of the day, if our tactics were really bad, we would have had players sent off.

"That's what the referee is there for. We don't go out to maim anyone. That's just ridiculous.

"We try to play physically but within the laws of the game. Sometimes there can be mistimed tackles, which is part and parcel of the game.

"But there is no chance I would ever, ever, ever instruct anyone to go out and maim a player, because I know they only have short careers."

Elrich stressed that there had been no plan to go out and hurt his former teammate during the match.

He said: "There was no intention to go out and hurt a player. I don't think anyone has that attitude. I've got a lot of respect for Bridgey, but I had to win my battles."