Dragons sack $800k star Paul Vaughan over Covid breach lies

St George Illawarra Dragons have decided the future of the biggest names at the heart of the breach scandal with one contract torn up.

The St George Illawarra Dragons have torn up Paul Vaughan’s contract over the biosecurity breach scandal.

The former NSW and Kangaroos star has been released from the remaining 15 months of his deal “effective immediately” after he lied to the club about hosting the house party at the centre of the drama. Vaughan hosted a party at his Shellharbour home on Saturday night in a breach of Covid-19 restrictions, with 12 of his Dragons teammates attending.

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It’s set to be a costly blow for Vaughan, who was reportedly on a deal worth $800,000 a year. He now has to find a new club.

Jack de Belin and Corey Norman have appeared to survive the immediate axe.

The Dragons released a statement revealing the remaining 12 players involved will be issued with individual breach notices with a fine to go to selected local charities. They will also have to do compulsory extra-curricular club service.

“The board haven’t taken any of the 13 players’ actions lightly and reinforced this on Tuesday morning by taking these additional actions including the termination of Paul Vaughan’s contract,” Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said.

“The club maintains it holds no reservations over the punishments already handed down by the NRL Integrity Unit and New South Wales Police.

“These additional penalties have been determined in such a way that the beneficiaries will be those affected by the players’ misconduct.”

The drama has sparked widespread fury and condemnation across the game, with the breach potentially threatening the entire competition.

The 13 players were hit with a combined $305,000 in fines from the NRL. Vaughan was slugged with an eight-game ban and the rest of the players copped a one-match suspension, which will be staggered throughout a three-week period.

Vaughan hosted a party at his house with teammates Blake Lawrie, Norman, Daniel Alvaro, Jack Bird, Josh Kerr, Josh McGuire, Kaide Ellis, Matthew Dufty, Tyrell Fuimaono, Zac Lomax, de Belin and Gerard Beale attending.

It was revealed the players were specifically told by the club’s head of football Ben Haran and coach Anthony Griffin not to celebrate their golden point victory over the Warriors on Friday night.

Some Dragons players allegedly attempted to flee the scene or hide on the premises when the police arrived at Vaughan’s home on the NSW south coast.

Speaking on Fox League’s NRL 360, The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent revealed de Belin hid under the bed when police arrived at Vaughan’s home.

Last year, Vaughan was stood down for two weeks after he visited a cafe during biosecurity bubble restrictions.

Paul Vaughan may be out of a job.

Jack de Belin’s ‘story changed significantly’

Earlier, 2GB Radio host Ben Fordham put de Belin in the crosshairs a month into his NRL comeback after being stood down in February 2019 due to sexual assault allegations. The charges were dropped after the Director of Public Prosecutions decided he would not face a third sexual assault trial, following two hung juries.

“The fact he was there (at Vaughan’s house) is the negative,” Webb told Fordham. “We were originally told that he walked past, dropped something off and kept moving. Then that story changed significantly.

“That’s disappointing because we’ve stood by Jack and the club has been through a lot the last two-and-a-half, three years there. The club deserves better there and we’re taking that into consideration.”

While the club was cleared of any wrongdoing, Webb confirmed the Dragons encouraged de Belin to come forward to police when they found out the truth.

Fordham asked if de Belin’s “future was in doubt too” but Webb said: “I don’t want to say anyone’s future is in doubt.”

Jack de Belin was fined $42,000.

Fordham also singled out Norman — who has already been told by the club his services are not required next year — as a repeat offender who should be shown the door.

Webb was far from happy about reports of a phone hook-up by the players in order to keep their stories straight.

He said the club told the players: “You’ve done the wrong thing, just be honest.”

“To do something like this when there are people in the community like down in Melbourne in that extended lockdown last year, people separated from family and friends and sick members of the family they couldn’t visit but these guys go and do this,” Webb said.

“It’s something you just can’t take and we need to have some pretty strong discussions about that today.”

Corey Norman’s search for a new club has become harder.

Twist amid Dragons stars’ lies

Webb said Vaughan’s wife was the only one present, according to the players, after reports other partners attended the party.

He admitted he questioned whether that was the truth after the slow reveal of lies emerged.

Webb also told Andrew Voss on SEN some of the players weren’t honest with the club.

“I think the majority have (been honest), but there were some who weren’t,” Webb admitted. “I’m not sure why, I don’t want to speculate on why they’ve done that.

“But the majority were (honest), they knew they were doing the wrong thing, I don’t know if it’s better or worse, it’s frustrating.

“They’ve said, ‘Yeah, we’ve done the wrong thing here we’ve got to take the hit’, but the part they don’t all comprehend – well hopefully they do now – is that they’re not just taking the hit, the whole club does.

“That’s where the frustration lingers, but we have to work on that now.”

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo revealed the investigation could be reopened if there is any truth to suggestions players’ partners or other people from outside the club’s biosecurity bubble were present.

“We will re-open the investigation. That’s pretty serious. We’ve given the players multiple opportunities to tell us everything,” Abdo said on Today.

“If there’s additional information we will look at it and take significant action if that’s the case. if there are repeat offences we will not hesitate to remove people from the bubble.”