NRL 2020: Canterbury Bulldogs Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor suspended
Canterbury are in damage control after revelations the schoolgirl sex scandal that rocked rugby league has now cost the Bulldogs a $2 million major partner. DETAILS HERE
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Canterbury’s latest unsavoury off-field incident has cost them another big sponsor with the Bulldogs’ schoolgirl sex scandal set to torpedo a new $2 million deal.
The Bulldogs were close to announcing a multi-year partnership with family restaurant chain Rashays before revelations Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor were stood down amid claims they had sex with two schoolgirls.
Now that major sponsorship deal is set to collapse, leaving the Belmore-based club without a major sponsor ahead of the NRL’s season opener against Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium on Thursday night.
Sources confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that the deal was dead in the water.
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It is the second big sponsor to walk away from the club in recent years after Jaycar founder and boss Gary Johnston, who had poured more than $10 million of sponsorship into the Bulldogs, cut ties with the club following the wild Mad Monday party in 2018.
Harawira-Naera and Okunbor were due to be named in the Bulldogs’ round-one side but will not play.
The incidents allegedly took place at the team hotel during the club’s visit to Port Macquarie for a trial game last month. It is understood the two females are above the age of consent and the sex was consensual. There is no criminal investigation into the matter.
But Canterbury officials have ruled the two players breached the club’s and the NRL’s code of conduct.
The Bulldogs did little to clear up information around the incident as chief executive Andrew Hill played a straight bat to questions from reporters on Wednesday morning.
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At what was supposed to be coach Dean Pay’s pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday night’s season opener against Parramatta, Hill started proceedings by reading from a prepared statement and then going on to not shed any further light on the incident.
During the 10-minute press conference Hill:
*On nine occasions said words to the effect of “It is not appropriate for me/the club to make further comment at this time;
*Referred to the “current investigation” nine times to not answer questions;
*Said five times that Harawira-Naera and Okunbor had “breached the game’s/the club/s code of conduct”; and
*Reiterated four times the Bulldogs had “taken a strong stance against the players”.
Pay did his best to answer what questions he could, conceding how “difficult” it was to go into the season opener without the pair.
“Obviously there’s challenges to it,” Pay said.
“The positive out of it is Joe Stimson gets a start, so he plays his first game for the club. Dean Britt plays his first game for the club. Christian Crichton gets an opportunity to start.
“Those boys are excited about playing tomorrow night.
“we’ll be prepared. We’ll be ready.”
Asked how long he could be without the suspended pair, Pay said “I don’t know”, before revealing neither Harawira-Naera or Okunbor were currently allowed to train with the club.
“No, they’re not,” Pay said.
The scandal is a horrible blow to the NRL ahead a massive season kick-off between the fierce western Sydney rivals at what is expected to be a sold out Bankwest Stadium.
The NRL is furious the claims have tarnished the season’s opening blockbuster.
Harawira-Naera and Okunbor have been issued show cause notices by the NRL and could face further disciplinary action.
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The Daily Telegraph has been told the two players met the students during a school visit to promote the club’s trial match against Canberra.
Sources claim the alleged sexual encounters were revealed after the women spoke of the incident on a group app.
The parents of both teenagers were told of the claims.
Most NRL clubs forbid women from visiting team hotels on away trips.
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The Port Macquarie school where the girls attend has also been made aware.
The incidents could not have come at a worse time for the Bulldogs, who were closing in on securing a major jersey sponsor for 2020.
Bulldogs coach Dean Pay is expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday morning to discuss the behaviour of his two players. In the club’s statement, CEO Andrew Hill said: “While neither player is the subject of a criminal investigation, the club is treating the matter very seriously. The allegations are that each player engaged in behaviour that represents a serious breach of the NRL rules and the Bulldogs’ code of conduct.’’