Enough is enough: It’s high time NRL held offending players accountable for their off-field actions

We are in an era when even a fairly standard NRL player can earn more than five times the average wage, often for playing just half a game, sitting on the bench, or running around in reserve grade.

It shouldn’t be too much to expect that the players respect the game that gives them such a generous living and do their best to avoid situations that bring their clubs and the game into disrepute.

If they fail to do so, they should suffer the consequences.

Currently, the RLPA and NRL are in ongoing negotiations in an attempt to finalise a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and what better time for the NRL to make it a condition of the CBA that strong action will be taken against offending players, coaches and officials.

Once again this year rugby league is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Before a ball has even been kicked in anger this season we’ve had up-and-coming stars Talatau Amone and TC Robati stood down pending their court appearances on serious criminal charges, and most recently two of the game’s highest profile and highest-paid players in Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton were arrested in Canberra.

Add to that, Warriors forward Josh Curran’s court date for his assault and larceny charges is set down for June, and Penrith’s Taylan May is yet to serve his two-week suspension after being found guilty of assault back in 2021.

Josh Curran. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

What a great way to kick off the season.

In the case of Robati and Amone, and leaving the impact of their alleged actions on their victims aside, it’s the last thing that their respective clubs in Brisbane and St George-Illawarra need, as both are struggling to claw their way back up the ladder. The negative publicity and being a player down certainly won’t help their cause, and it brings the game of rugby league into disrepute, yet again.

The case of Mitchell and Wighton is arguably even worse, as they are high-profile figures of the game, the number one players in their clubs, current internationals and NSW-origin players, who are paid a lot of money by the NRL. Certainly, a lot more money than they could ever earn outside the game.

On top of that, they like to project themselves as role models in general, and to the Indigenous community in particular. Sure, their alleged actions may not be at the higher end of the criminal scale – although resisting arrest isn’t a good look – but the world at large won’t sift through the fine detail in the event that they are convicted of the charges. They’ll just read about another dope from the sport of rugby league being convicted of a crime.

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I’m sure most fans will be incredulous that the NRL has seen fit to let both Mitchell and Wighton play in this weekend’s All-Stars match, effectively approving of their behaviour while in team camp, when they would have been better served preparing for the match along with the rest of the squad. Remember, the All-Stars game is being promoted as the 2023 season opener, and being held in Auckland to give the sport in New Zealand a boost following several years of being effectively shut out due to Covid.

Now the story is more about the deeds of two dills, rather than the game itself, and I can’t imagine that the Kiwis are happy. Both Mitchell and Wighton have previously been sanctioned for their off-field behaviour, but have apparently learned nothing, and footage of them smirking and laughing as they headed to New Zealand with the rest of the All-Stars squads was an embarrassment to the NRL.

A press release stating that they’d been withdrawn from the tour and replaced by two Indigenous players keen for the chance to represent their heritage would have been preferable.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

At some point, I hope the NRL grow a pair and introduce a “no dickheads policy” that adequately deals with those who want to trash the game. Players are being paid and treated as professional athletes and should be required to behave accordingly. I’d like to see the NRL take a hard-line approach when it comes to the behaviour of those involved in the game, including:

• Mandatory stand down from participation in the game of any player, coach, official etc, who has been charged with a crime until such time as their case has been decided.

• A fine (depending on which is greater) of either $50,000 or 20% of the person’s contracted salary for a first offence where a player, coach, etc is found guilty of a crime, whether a conviction is recorded or not. Fines are not to be suspended, and the player, coach etc can only continue to participate in the game once the fine has been paid to the NRL.

• A second offence, at any time, will result in a fine (depending on which is greater) of either $100,000 or 40% of their salary.

• A third offence will result in them being barred from the NRL and any other competitions under the control of the ARL, NSWRL, QRL, etc.

• Any player found guilty of violent assault, domestic violence or sexual assault will be permanently barred from the NRL and any other competitions under the control of the ARL, NSWRL, QRL, etc.

A bit harsh? I don’t know about that, as it’s certainly preferable to the continued negative publicity the game receives, and if players don’t get the message they can always find another high-paying sport or profession that will keep them in the style they’ve become accustomed to.