Covid breach: NRL hands down fines totalling $45,000 to Wayne Bennett, Allan Langer and Paul Vaughan
The NRL has come down hard on Wayne Bennett, Paul Vaughan and Allan Langer imposing heavy fines on all three for their breach of the code’s bubble protocols.
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It’s the most expensive lunch Wayne Bennett will ever have.
The super coach has been hit with $20,000 fine for breaking the NRL’s bubble protocols.
The heavy fine comes in the wake of Bennett’s decision to lunch at a Leichhardt restaurant on Wednesday, which has forced the Souths coach into a 14-day “COVID HOLD” period.
The NRL have also slapped St George-Illawarra forward Paul Vaughan with a $10,000 penalty after he was caught eating at a Wollongong cafe’ on Thursday.
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Three Broncos staff members, including trainer Allan Langer, have also been fined $5,000 each after attending a pub in Brisbane.
Langer, who works on Anthony Seibold’s coaching staff, will enter a “COVID hold” along with fellow staff members Ryan Whitley and Blake Duncan.
You can only imagine the look on Bennett’s face when he answered a call from his little mate Langer on Friday.
One of the first people ‘Alfie’ spoke to after he too had been stood down from the clash between South Sydney and Brisbane after another COVID-19 protocol breach was his old coach.
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Bennett initially wouldn’t believe his former captain when Alfie told him the reason why they wouldn’t be able to catch up at ANZ Stadium.
“I thought he was a geeing me up,” a stunned Bennett revealed.
Eventually Alfie convinced Bennett he was telling the truth.
While Bennett was stood down for going to lunch at a Leichhardt restaurant, Alfie was the centre of attention at his 54th birthday party.
It occurred at a function at the famous Caxton Hotel following last weekend’s loss to Cronulla.
It means Langer along with fellow Brisbane conditioners Ryan Whitley and Blake Duncan, who were also in attendance at the birthday bash, are now unavailable to play their part on coach Anthony Seibold’s sideline team for the crucial game.
As everyone who follows the NRL knows, Alfie is the game’s most water boys, with the job of carrying messages to the players from the coach’s box.
Bennett is obviously extremely disappointed but maintains he didn’t intentionally set out to put anyone at risk.