The nose of Hawke's Bay Hawks mascot may be slightly out of joint after his behaviour landed the bosses a $200 fine.
But the sideline miscreant seems to have copped it despite leanings either way, having once hugged an opposition player and in the ultimate blemish flopped on the floor in apparent disgust at a referee's call.
When "Hawkey" got up he walked towards a referee with outstretched arms, in what league management interpreted as further disapproval of a ruling.
But boss and Taylor Hawks chairman Keith Price, who is not squawking about it, says the club will happily pay without any hint of an employment issue, because it's technically breaching the rules, although he believes "Hawkey" was actually wanting to hug the referee, too.
"The crowd love him," he said, reckoning there also some affection from the opposition.