Canterbury Bulldogs face fallout from players’ ‘idiotic’ Mad Monday celebrations
THE hangover for Canterbury’s Mad Monday antics is set to worsen with revelations coach Dean Pay was present, one player was drunk and naked rather than preparing for post-season surgery, and another was meant to be undergoing injury rehab.
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THE Canterbury player who stripped naked in public during a boozy Mad Monday celebration was heavily intoxicated the day before he underwent surgery on an injured wrist.
Bulldogs second rower Adam Elliott is facing heavy sanctions for taking off his clothes at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel in an act NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg described as “idiotic.”
Rather than prepare for Tuesday’s post-season surgery, Elliott was boozing with teammates in a bonding session which has infuriated the Bulldogs board.
The hangover for Canterbury’s Mad Monday antics is set to worsen with revelations Bulldogs coach Dean Pay attended the booze up, along with general manager of football Gareth Holmes and former Canterbury player Mitch Newton, who helped with security.
Newton was photographed near a naked Elliott early in the afternoon.
Other members of the club’s coaching staff also attended.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal:
*Second-rower Asipeli Fine, who also stripped down, was named to play in the club’s NSW Intrust Super Premiership finals match against Wyong Roos at Jubilee Oval on Sunday. Although the club may be under pressure to stand him down; and
*Winger Marcelo Montoya, who collapsed intoxicated out the front of The Harbour View Hotel as the night ended, is in the Bulldogs rehab group recovering from a hamstring injury and shouldn’t have been drinking.
The Bulldogs and NRL were forced to publicly condemn the behaviour of players who stripped down, threw up and passed out.
One player grabbed Elliott on the genitalia — in view of the public.
It is understood several members of the Bulldogs’ group encouraged Elliott to strip.
The drama comes after the NRL sent each club strict warnings about what was expected from players on Mad Monday.
An angry Greenberg has demanded a full report from Canterbury within the next 24 hours. The NRL integrity unit has launched its own independent probe while NSW Police are investigating whether the Harbour View Hotel breached liquor licencing laws.
Greenberg has promised swift and decisive action but would not be drawn on the exact punishment until after he reviews Canterbury’s report.
The Daily Telegraph reached out to Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill and club chairwoman Lynne Anderson but neither returned calls.
“The Bulldogs have let down the game,” Greenberg said.
“I just do not understand the fascination with footballers who want to take their clothes off. If they want to do these things, do it in the privacy of their own home. Don’t do it at five o’clock in the afternoon in a public location.
“It’s idiotic. Alcohol and poor choices go together. It’s as simple as that.”
A Bulldogs media statement avoided calling it Mad Monday, instead referring to it as a “team get-together.” They have another gathering on Thursday night in the form of their presentation night at the flashy Waterview in Bicentennial Park function centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
“I’m really disappointed — we should today be talking about the finals series. I’m terribly disappointed to be even talking about this today,” Greenberg said.
“We had a very detailed discussion with all 16 clubs — the eight clubs that weren’t playing — so the expectations were very, very clear.”
The message didn’t get through to the Bulldogs though. Even departing centre Josh Morris took to social media to protest the media coverage in a quickly deleted Instagram post, claiming: “Perception vs reality #telecrap.”
“I’ve got no problems with people celebrating the end of their season as long as they do it respectfully,” Greenberg said.
“On this occasion, they have made some poor decisions, some poor choices, and that ultimately gives the game a black eye.
“It’s embarrassing for the players themselves as individuals, it’s embarrassing for their club and it’s embarrassing for the game. What we expect from players and club is professionalism.
“When you offend others, there is a big price to pay for that. There has to be consequences.”
Canterbury’s misbehaviour came on the same day the NRL launched what shapes as one of the all-time great finals series.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, ARL Commission chair Peter Beattie said: “This is extremely disappointing on the eve of the finals. Todd Greenberg personally warned all club chief executives to ensure there were no Mad Monday incidents in a group call last week.
“So the clubs were in no doubt that they had a responsibility to ensure their players had a good time without doing anything to damage the game.
“To wake up to photos of players half naked and sick is very disappointing.”
The Bulldogs addressed the issue on Tuesday morning in a statement, although they stopped short of apologising.
“The club accepts that they were unacceptable and a poor reflection on the individuals involved and the club,” the statement said.
“The players are aware of their responsibilities and the standards required when representing the club and [Monday’s] behaviour was unacceptable and a bad look for the game.
“The club will now work with all relevant stakeholders to gather information and fully review what took place. The club is also working closely with the NRL in regard to determining the next steps in this review.”
RLPA CEO Ian Prendergast added: “We acknowledge that the actions of certain Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players on Monday were not in-line with the values that we expect of our members.”
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