NRL 2020: Nathan Cleary fined by NSW Police for social distancing breach

Police have fined Nathan Cleary after he allegedly left his home on the day of the infamous TikTok video and lied about how long his party went on, writes PAUL KENT.

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Nathan Cleary was not at home for the entire day that he recorded his TikTok video.

That was the lie that cost Cleary $30,000 and two games after the NRL Integrity Unit finally smashed the glass, in case of emergency, to take a stand for the game and the responsibilities of those who play it.

Now Cleary has been fined $1000 by police who reopened an investigation into his infamous Tik Tok saga following revelations he allegedly left his home that day.

Five women who were at Cleary’s Penrith home when they filmed a Tik Tok dance on April 25 were fined five days later for breaching social distancing laws.

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Penrith’s Nathan Cleary leaves his home on Wednesday Picture: Damian Shaw

But Cleary escaped a fine, until today, on the basis the women arrived at his house and he did not leave.

Nepean police agreed to look into the incident again today after it emerged through the NRL Integrity unit investigation that Cleary had allegedly left his home to pick the women up.

Police spoke to Cleary’s lawyer today and issued him a fine by email about 2pm today.

“Following information received and further inquiries, the man was issued a $1000 PIN for non-essential travel via email about 2pm today,” police said in a statement.

This wasn't happening at Cleary’s house, as he said.

Almost everything Cleary initially said was untrue.

That he was home practising self-isolation.

That the girls were down the road, drinking in the street and waiting for an Uber and, in a gentlemanly act, he told them they could wait at his place.

That the girls were in his company for only 10 minutes.

And, most of all, that he had stayed home when, in reality, he left home to pick the girls up.

Given the series of lies to the Integrity Unit the NRL believes it had no choice but to come down hard and suspend him for two games, with many considering him lucky he was not outed even longer.

“Firstly, the activities were not in line with public protocols,” an NRL source said. “But, secondly, he conspired to concoct a story about what he was doing.”

The NRL is angry Cleary was caught lying to the Integrity Unit not once, but twice.

When photos of girls at his place first surfaced on social media, Cleary claimed they had stopped in to his home to wait for the Uber for no longer than 10 minutes.

The claim was made on Channel 9 news which, given its broad audience, added to his punishment.

Then the TikTok dancing video emerged and Cleary had to concede they were at his place a little longer than he first suggested.

And the party went on longer than Cleary said it did.

Cleary was fined $10,000 (with $6000 suspended) and one match (suspended).

Further investigation has now revealed that Cleary left his home to pick up the girls, breaking the self-isolation protocols.

The full story finally was revealed when the Integrity Unit interviewed Cleary again, as well as housemate Tyrone May, and now explains the cryptic release the NRL issued Monday night when it revised its penalty, saying Cleary was “untruthful in material matters”.

May, who initially claimed he retreated to his bedroom to obey social distancing rules, was fined $15,000 and also suspended two games. He won’t be able to play until round seven with his two game ban coming on top of the four game suspension he is halfway through serving for a previous off-field incident.

He later joined the party, it was discovered.

It is a perfect example of the problem inherent in the game, one difficult to solve.

Good players are so prized their mistakes are glossed over, even covered up. It happens often.

But it creates a false sense of reality and, in some cases, entitlement. As if the rest of society’s rules don’t apply.

It’s why Cleary could conceive he might get away with it.

On the flip side, players often pay a far steeper penalty once they are exposed, which reinforces the clubs’ efforts to protect them.

What often fails to be discussed are the club’s failures to prepare players for adult responsibilities.

This is where the NRL was compelled to act.

“The whole competition is on the line,” said the NRL source. “It is time to make adult decisions.”

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Cleary will pay a higher price for his untruths. Photo: Panthers Media

Cleary had clearly panicked.

A day after Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell were skewered for breaking isolation rules, angering NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and making some question the merits of the NRL return on May 28, Cleary was caught on social media and panicked to the extent he invented a whole narrative to cover his mistake.

And, inevitably, the small lie snowballed into a big lie he could not escape.

Eventually, the cover-up became bigger than the initial act.