JUSTIN Carney has been banned for eight matches for racially abusing Ryan Bailey.
The Salford winger was today found to have used an offensive term towards the former Leeds man in the Challenge Cup tie against Toronto Wolfpack.
Carney is believed to have initially denied making the comment, with sources saying he insisted he said Bailey was a ‘fat c***’ in the incident, for which he was sent off.
However, after holding his hands up to using an offensive term he has been sidelined until the middle of June.
Sunday’s match against Widnes, which Salford won 30-10, counts as one match as he was stood down from selection.
SunSport understands statements from players were heard in the hearing which lasted about three hours, along with audio and video evidence from the game.
Accounts from the officials and Toronto players are also thought to have been heard.
But the disciplinary panel, chaired by Judge Rodney Grant and featuring former players Graeme Hallas and Neil Turley, found him guilty.
Carney, 28, has an Aboriginal father, Bobby, and played for an Australian Indigenous side in an exhibition match against New Zealand Maori before the 2008 World Cup.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of verbal abuse and is believed to have held his hands up to saying the term but disputed the severity of his Grade F charge.
SunSport understands it is thought Carney tried to justify it by insisting he did not want to cause offence.
However, the panel refused to downgrade the charge following a period of consultation. He can appeal the ruling today (Weds).
A Salford statement said: “Justin pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct being that, in the game against Toronto Wolfpack he used verbal abuse to an opposition player based on race/colour, although he did contest the severity of the charge.
“Whilst Justin has admitted using the offending words in an abusive manner, he did not intend his words to be taken in a “racial” context.
“Justin is an indigenous Australian and is proud of his Aboriginal heritage. He stands firm on the position that he is not nor has he ever been a racist.
“He is grateful that having received several letters of support from within the RFL community both here and in Australia, the tribunal has accepted that he is not a racist.
“He is also grateful for the courtesy and fairness shown to him during the hearing.
“Justin will now undertake an internal investigation (pending any subsequent appeal) into his conduct.
“The club takes all disciplinary matters concerning race, creed and religion extremely seriously and embraces the sports strict code of conduct.”
Meanwhile, Hull’s Sika Manu, who was meant to be skippering Tonga in their test against Fiji on Saturday, has been banned for two matches for a ‘chicken wing tackle’, where he bent the arm back, on Warrington’s Ryan Atkins.
He will miss Sunday’s Super League clash at Widnes and the start of their Challenge Cup defence against Catalans.
And Catalans half-back Luke Walsh has been banned for Saturday’s clash with Leeds after being found to have used foul and abusive language to a match official.
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