The Bulldogs have been fined $20,000 by the NRL for taking the field late on Grand Final day, and keeping the capacity crowd, the Rabbitohs and more than four million viewers waiting.

NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg said there had been a four-minute delay between the time the team was directed to enter the ground and the time they actually took the field.

During this period the sellout crowd of more than 83,000 people was kept waiting and the South Sydney Rabbitohs were forced to go into a new warm-up routine.

"That kind of delay is unacceptable, particularly on such an important occasion like the Grand Final," Greenberg said.

"The Bulldogs have been issued with a breach notice of $20,000 for the delay." 

The Bulldogs have seven days to respond to the breach notice.