Luke O'Nien 'wedgies' ex-Newcastle United player Jack Colback - prompting reaction from Sunderland fans

Luke O’Nien has once again gone viral for his on-pitch antics — this time for an incident involving former Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback during Sunderland’s clash with QPR.

Colback, who started the match at the Stadium of Light, is one of the few players to have represented both Sunderland and Newcastle, having come through the Black Cats’ academy and made his senior debut in 2010. His controversial switch to Tyneside in 2014 significantly tarnished his reputation with Sunderland supporters, and his return on Saturday was met with predictable hostility from the home crowd, who booed him consistently throughout the game.

Playing at left-back, Colback became involved in a tense exchange with O’Nien just before half-time as the two tussled in the box ahead of a Sunderland corner. The confrontation prompted referee Anthony Backhouse to step in, while chants aimed at Colback rang out from the Roker End.

Colback later provoked further ire from the stands when he was substituted with around half an hour left to play, taking his time to exit the field as boos intensified. But it was a moment captured during the earlier skirmish with O’Nien that really caught the eye after the match — photos and video evidence showing O’Nien appearing to give Colback a "wedgie"-style tug on his shorts quickly did the rounds online.

Despite Sunderland slipping to a fifth consecutive defeat, the moment brought some amusement to Black Cats fans as they now turn their attention to the upcoming play-off semi-finals against Coventry City, though some were annoyed by the central defender becoming involved in the incident given his team’s poor form and performance against The R’s.

After the game, Sunderland fan Dionne Watson wrote: “He did that after constant pulling and pushing off him, he’d done it every corner from KO. The ref was doing nothing about it, this is what eventually got him to leave O’Nien alone!”

Michael Hutchison added: “How about he just does his job instead of this playing up to the crowd. Mr Sunderland - nonsense!” Paul Livingstone said: “There’s a time and place for Luke’s antics. Today wasn’t it.” Conor Burns commented: “That’s all he done, sometimes being the joker isn’t the best, he’s been poor lately and doing that, when the team’s performance isn’t good, isn’t helping.”

Colin Bell added: “Unprofessional all round by O’Nien and the team. To just turn up and not put a shift is not acceptable. Lack of respect towards the fans, with a lot of fans working hard to pay for season tickets to just ruck up by the players isn’t acceptable really.”

Régis Le Bris issues message to Sunderland fans

Régis Le Bris has backed his Sunderland side to bounce back in the Championship play-off semi-finals despite ending the regular season with a fifth straight defeat.

The Black Cats were beaten 1-0 by Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light in a lacklustre display where they again struggled to create meaningful chances or test the opposition goalkeeper. Despite the poor run, Le Bris remains confident his team will be prepared for their upcoming clash with Coventry City, who secured fifth place with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Ricoh Arena.

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Asked what he would say to fans feeling pessimistic about Sunderland's play-off hopes, Le Bris responded: "I understand, but we have to remember where we were one season before. This team has shown so many qualities this season, it doesn't disappear like that [clicks fingers]. It has been a really strange period because we secured this place so early, and it was clear that this squad, the youngest in the league with a small core, deserved to recover.

“We disturbed the flow of the squad—its rhythm and its references—so that they could recover and so that we could test some new foundations. But in the end, we know our foundations as a team. We know what works and what is positive for us, we know in our heads maybe what options could be good for us in the games. We are clear on our foundations, and I think at that level, we are always on the edge; it's not unusual. The players are ready to react."

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