Paul Vaughan sacked by the Dragon after sexting scandal adds to Covid breaches

Paul Vaughan’s Covid breach was the last strike for the Dragons star, but it was explicit text messages from more than two years ago that set the ball rolling for his dramatic sacking.

Paul Vaughan may have played his last game for the Dragons. Picture: Getty Images

Paul Vaughan was embroiled in a lewd messaging controversy just days after star lock Jack de Belin was arrested, which has contributed to St George Illawarra sacking the representative prop after his Covid party breach.

The Dragons were notified by a woman regarding explicit messages Vaughan had sent more than two and a half years ago.

The club was already reeling from de Belin’s arrest when the messages came to light in December, 2018. It was the same month de Belin was charged by police over rape allegations, which he vigorously denied. The de Belin charges were ultimately dropped after two hung juries.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the woman wanted to leak the photos but stopped when told of potential legal ramifications if she went ahead with it.

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Dragons player Paul Vaughan walks his dog at Shellharbour Beach.

The club issued Vaughan with a breach notice because of the incident. His off-field behaviour finally caught up with him after the 30-year-old was axed following two Covid-19 related breaches, including a house party he hosted for teammates on Saturday night.

Vaughan had the final 15 months of his contract torn up. The deal was worth about $1 million, including $800,000 next season. He was already whacked with a $50,000 fine by the NRL.

An emotional Vaughn last night described his decision to have the Saturday night gathering at his Shellharbour home as “a very bad judgment call on my behalf and obviously very stupid”.

“I’m deeply remorseful and very sorry for what’s happened,” he told NRL 360.

“I can’t express that enough.

St George Illawarra chairman Andrew Gordon said the club had to “take a very heavy stance” on poor behaviour.

Paul Vaughan has been sacked for his Covid-breach party.

“It’s the sort of thing that has to be stamped out from the NRL,” Gordon said.

“We have taken a dim view of the situation and we’ve had to act accordingly.

“This behaviour is not in the spirit of the club.”

Vaughan’s teammates – including de Belin and Corey Norman – survived the axe when the Dragons board met on Tuesday for two hours to decide the players’ fate.

Instead the likes of de Belin, Corey Norman, Josh McGuire, Gerard Beale, Blake Lawrie, Kaide Ellis, Matt Dufty, Jack Bird Josh Kerr, Daniel Alvaro, Tyrell Fuimaono and Zac Lomax will be fined by the club on top of what they have been whacked with by the NRL.

Paul Vaughan may have played his last game for the Dragons. Picture: Getty Images

It is understood the fine will be about one week’s pay, some of which is suspended. The players are expected to publicly apologise and be forced to do ‘extra-curricular’ club service. They have been suspended by the NRL for one match.

St George Illawarra chief executive Ryan Webb defended the club’s culture.

“I wouldn’t define it as a culture problem but we’re a long way to where we want to be,” he said.

“When something happens at your club which puts the competition in jeopardy, it is a pretty heavy weight to bear.”

In August last year, Vaughan was fined $10,000 and suspended for two weeks for eating breakfast at an Illawarra cafe, breaking bubble restrictions.

He becomes the game’s first player hit with two Covid-19 infractions.

Originally published as Paul Vaughan sacked by the Dragon after sexting scandal adds to Covid breaches