The brothers were given an 18-month suspension for breaching the Group Seven Rugby League code of conduct following an off-field brawl at Cec Glenholmes Oval on August 5, after the game between the Gorillas and the Stingrays of Shellharbour.

Nick King had earlier been sent from the field by referee Ryan Micallef after an on-field altercation with Stingrays’ Nikita Drew, who was also sent off.

The brothers’ suspension, along with three Stingrays players, Guy Rosewarn, Drew and Patrick Woodley, came on Wednesday night at a special judiciary hearing at the Kiama Leagues Club.

Rosewarn, Drew and Woodley were each handed two match bans for also breaching the Group Seven Rugby League code of conduct.

With time already served they are now free to play.

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That was the same ban handed down to Gorillas players Emanuel Sultana and Jake Davison at similar judiciary hearing on Tuesday night. They have also served their suspensions and are free to play.

The King brothers also appeared on that evening with judiciary panel members deciding to defer their sentencing until Wednesday night’s hearing.

Panel members deeming their involvement in the incident to be more serious and slapped both with bans until January 1, 2020.

The Kings now have until 5pm Friday to lodge an application to the Group Seven review committee to appeal the suspension.

In another twist, the judiciary has also cited a spectator from the crowd present at Cec Glemholmes Oval on August 5 – who will face up to the judiciary in the coming weeks.

The off-field brawl is currently being investigated by Lake Illawarra Police, which escalated  after the full-time siren, with a brawl erupting in the crowd as the players left the field.

Related content: Group Seven names seven players cited after brawl