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UPDATED: NSW Police have charged Blake Ferguson with an alleged indecent assault on a woman at a Sydney nightclub.
It is understood Josh Dugan was present with Ferguson, but not directly implicated and has not been reprimanded.
The NRL has announced a swift penalty for Ferguson, announcing that his NRL registration had been suspended, making him ineligible for the NSW Blues and Game 2 of the series, as well as the Canberra Raiders.
A replacement for Ferguson is expected to be named on Tuesday.
“The fans do not want to see the game tarnished and neither do the players,” said NRL Chief Executive Dave Smith.
“It’s time for people to understand that the game isn’t going to accept this sort of behaviour.
“The first step in Blake’s case is to make a clear call in relation to Origin and tomorrow we will consult with the Raiders to determine the minimum period we would look at in terms of suspension.
“We have worked closely with both the NSWRL and the Canberra Raiders during this process and there remains genuine concern for the welfare of the player.
“We will offer every support to address any issues but there also has to be a clear deterrent.”
Earlier, the NSW Origin camp media conference was delayed by more than two hours as officials and NSW Police investigated allegations.
Blues coach Laurie Daley fronted the media, where he made a short statement regarding the incident.
“We have been in contact with the NRL integrity unit,” NSW coach Laurie Daley said.
“Josh Dugan was with Blake at the time but there have no allegations against him.”
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