Revealed: Explosive letter from Lebanon that banned NRL stars

NRL players have been accused of deliberately denigrating and destabilising Lebanon rugby league in an extraordinary letter issued to Cedars players protesting against their federation. SEE THE FULL LETTER

The Sunday Telegraph photograph by Brett Costello that landed players in hot water with their federation.

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The future of the Lebanon rugby league team is in tatters after 17 players, including high-profile NRL stars such as Robbie Farah, Mitchell Moses and Josh Mansour, were sensationally banned from representing the Cedars.

The Daily Telegraph has obtained the extraordinary letter sent by Lebanon Rugby League International Federation chief executive Nayef Albert Abi Said where he details players would be charged for “misconduct for acts of prejudicial to the interests of Lebanese rugby league and the sport”.

“We are duty bound as the national governing body to do so for the simple fact that we believe gross misconduct has occurred,” Said wrote.

“The actions many of the squad were involved with were premeditated attempts to denigrate the LRLF and destabilize Lebanese rugby league.”

The letter blames skipper Farah and long-time Cedars player-turned-player representative Chris Saab for “co-opting the wider playing group into their actions, misleading them with false information’’.

Robbie Farah has been declared the ringleader of the player revolt. Picture: AAP

Said then goes on to address a range of issues players have been speaking out against, including claims of an illegal election that Said wrote were “categorically untrue”.

Said also said he “understood the force of peer pressure”.

The players were hit with personal misconduct charges on Sunday. The Daily Telegraph has also obtained some of those letters.

Players were whacked with various misconduct charges, including slander for not distancing themselves from comments made by Farah, who said he was speaking on behalf of the playing group.

“As a member of the playing group, you have not repudiated those false statements, hence you leave us with no option but to consider you supportive of them.”

Other players were hit with further charges for posing for a Sunday Telegraph photograph where a host of NRL stars covered up the Cedars logo. Players also patched over the emblem in a team photo in the lead-up to the Test against Fiji.

The Sunday Telegraph photograph by Brett Costello that landed players in hot water with their federation.

Saab hit back at claims he had pressured players to do anything against their wishes, pointing to an email sent by Farah hitting out against the board that had every player cc’d on it. Players then wrote back backing Farah’s stance.

Saab also fears for the Cedars’ future in the wake of the latest drama engulfing the national team and its board.

“It is a real shame the board is focusing on the symptoms rather than the cause,” Saab said. “They keep trying to sell it to everyone it’s myself and a few senior players doing this, but they have been told numerous times this is a collective.

“I fear for the future of the national team. They can threaten to keep players on the sidelines but it is doing nothing more than damaging the credibility of Lebanon rugby league.

“The reality is the players do not support the board and will not support the board until they step down and a democratic election is held.

“They are not doing themselves any favours. They are pushing the players further and further away.

“You have the whole championship competition in Lebanon which has been in boycott for almost two seasons and our national side has been boycotting since the 2017 World Cup. People can make their own decisions on where the problem lies.

“I mean, how do you sit on your seat on the boards when none of the players in Lebanon or Australia want you there. You tell me who is doing this for their own benefit?”

Moses, Mansour and Adam Doueihi did not even play in the Test but have been charged after posing in the Sunday Telegraph photo.

The letter issued by the LRLF.