NRL 2022: Warriors star Josh Curran under investigation for alleged assault

As Cowboys star Luciano Leilua vows to fight domestic violence charges, police have launched an investigation into another NRL star.

Luciano Leilua has been charged with the alleged assault of a woman known to him. Picture: Getty Images

North Queensland Cowboys star Luciano Leilua has vowed to contest domestic violence charges as the NRL braced for an off-season from hell following a spate of incidents which has left Warriors forward Josh Curran under police investigation for assault.

In a controversy-ridden aftermath to Sunday’s grand final, Curran became the third player to be embroiled in off-field drama within 48 hours of the 2022 NRL premiership season ending.

Curran, who made his Australian Prime Minister’s XIII debut last month and is one of the New Zealand club’s best players, has been named as part of an alleged incident which is under police investigation after a teenage boy was left with facial injuries following an alleged incident at a Port Macquarie nightclub.

“Officers from Mid North Coast Police District commenced inquiries after reports a teenager was assaulted at a nightclub on William Street, Port Macquarie, about 3am on Sunday,” NSW Police said in a statement.

“The teenage boy received facial injuries as a result of the alleged incident.

Josh Curran is being investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty

“Investigations into this incident are continuing. As part of their inquiries, investigators are interviewing numerous witnesses and reviewing CCTV from the nightclub and surrounds.

“Police urge anyone who may have witnessed the incident contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Following a period of relatively good behaviour by players, the NRL’s Integrity Unit has been overrun within hours of Sunday night’s grand final between Penrith and Parramatta.

And the game is bracing for potentially more off-field incidents as more than 100 players head overseas for the Rugby League World Cup.

The Curran appeal from police followed Leilua’s arrest on Monday and Panthers premiership star Jarome Luai’s offensive social media post.

Leilua’s World Cup dreams are hanging by a thread.

Leilua, 26, was granted bail to face Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday week after being charged with common assault and damaging or destroying property following the alleged smashing of a mobile phone.

Luciano Leilua will face a Sydney court next week. Picture: NRL Photos

Leilua had checked into Sydney Airport with the rest of the Samoa squad to fly to England on Monday night ahead of the upcoming World Cup, but he was left behind following the alleged incident involving his 26-year-old partner.

Leilua has engaged high-profile Sydney lawyer Elias Tabchouri and plans to fight the charges.

“Our client intends on defending these matters,” said Tabchouri of Macquarie Law Group.

“He denies any wrongdoing and maintains his innocence. He has never been in trouble with police and does not condone violence in any form.

“He is extremely distressed in relation to the events of the last 24 hours. He is focusing on his family and hopes this will be resolved sooner rather than later.”

Samoa will wait until next week to decide if the North Queensland back-rower will be allowed to be part of their World Cup preparations while the Cowboys’ 2023 NRL season could also be implicated by the case.

Samoa will launch its World Cup campaign against England on October 15 – giving Leilua very little time to be available for the first match of the tournament.

Jarome Luai deleted a controversial Instagram post.

Leilua’s charges do not fall under the NRL’s automatic ‘No Fault Stand Down’ policy, however CEO Andrew Abdo has discretionary powers to stand players down.

The NRL has shown a lower threshold for exercising its discretionary powers in cases involving alleged domestic violence.

At this stage, Leilua has not been stood down, however the NRL is expected to wait until the allegations become clearer before taking a stance. That could happen after next Tuesday’s court appearance.

“We are currently waiting on the NRL Integrity Unit to ascertain what their position is,” Tabchouri said.

“Once they reach a determination, our client will make a decision in relation to playing in the World Cup.”

The NRL is also looking into a social media post made by Luai in the hours after Penrith’s grand final victory.

Luai shared an image of himself and teammate Jaeman Salmon to Instagram, captioning the post: “My n****”.

The post was later deleted, but Luai is set to be sanctioned with penalties that could be imposed during his World Cup campaign with Samoa.

While the Luai post is not police related, it has been a poor start to the “off-season” in regards to player behaviour following Sunday’s sold-out grand final at Accor Stadium.

Originally published as NRL 2022: Warriors star Josh Curran under investigation for alleged assault