The National Rugby League has today issued Brisbane Broncos player Payne Haas with a breach notice after he pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidating NSW Police.
The breach notice proposes Haas be fined the maximum of $50,000 and be suspended for 3 matches. He must also complete an appropriate education program and complete community service as directed by the NRL.
The financial penalty of $50,000 is the highest fine allowed for a player under NRL Rules. In consultation with the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) the NRL will review maximum financial penalties moving forward to ensure they act as an appropriate deterrent to all players.
NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo said the game had no tolerance for players abusing or intimidating police.
“Payne’s conduct was unacceptable. There are no excuses for any form of abuse towards our police force. Any player who intimidates police will be dealt with severely,’’ he said.
“As part of his sanction, Payne is required to participate in an appropriate education program and engage in community service as directed by the NRL. It’s important our sanctions are two-fold – they must act as a deterrent but also have an element of education and rehabilitation so players who are in trouble can learn from their mistakes and develop into better young men.
“Although most of our players are outstanding role models in the community, we need to do more to ensure better decision making and accountability among our playing group. We will be reviewing our education programmes and also reviewing our financial penalties, in conjunction with the RLPA, to ensure that we are doing all we can to eliminate instances where the players let themselves and the community down.”
