Corey Norman: Toulouse player gets eight-game ban for placing 'hand between buttocks' of opponent
- Published
Corey Norman had an 11-year career in the NRL before coming out of retirement to join Toulouse
Toulouse Olympique's Corey Norman has been banned for eight Super League matches after he "intentionally placed a hand between the buttocks of an opposing player".
The incident involving Oliver Holmes took place in the French side's loss to Warrington on Thursday.
A tribunal found Australian Norman, 31, guilty of a Grade F charge of Other Contrary Behaviour.
The half-back will miss the rest of the season for bottom side Toulouse.
The French club are four points from safety at the foot of the Super League table with six games left to play.
Norman, who came out of retirement to join Toulouse for their 2022 Super League campaign after an 11-year career in the NRL, had pleaded not guilty.
But the three-person tribunal was "entirely satisfied" that he had "intentionally placed a hand between the buttocks of an opposing player".
An excerpt of the ruling, published on the Rugby Football League's website, read: "The footage of the incident shows a deliberate movement of Corey Norman's left arm and hand over the top of Oliver Holmes and on to his buttocks.
"At no point does the footage show a grabbing of the shorts to push Oliver Holmes down as described by Corey Norman.
"The footage shows a deliberate placing of Corey Norman's hands and fingers on the buttocks and coupled with the immediate complaint from Holmes, the reaction of his team-mate Danny Walker and the statement of Holmes to which we have measured regard, we are entirely satisfied that this was an intentional placing of a hand between the buttocks of the opposing player and we find the charge proved."
Norman was also fined £500.