NRL 2021: Dragons players fined $305,000, hit with monster bans

The NRL has dropped the hammer on 13 Dragons players involved in a weekend house party that flouted Covid rules.

GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - JULY 02: Corey Norman of the Dragons celebrates the win from his field goal with his team mates during the round 16 NRL match between New Zealand Warriors and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Central Coast Stadium, on July 02, 2021, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

The NRL has made the unprecedented decision to stagger the match suspensions of the 13 St George Illawarra Covid breakers caught out attending Paul Vaughan’s house party last Saturday night.

The governing body has determined this as the best way to minimise overall damage to the game and in particular to the TV broadcast.

The players will also cop a combined $305,000 in fines.

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It comes amid fresh claims that the NSW Police are now believed to be investigating whether some other players’ wives and partners were at the party as well.

The NRL was not aware of this information. They are of the understanding only Vaughan’s wife, Ellie, was at the house.

It follows neighbours claiming that shortly after police entered the Vaughans home, a number of men and women could be seen “scampering” out a side door and “running” off down the street.

Meanwhile, there is certainly going to be some criticism of the decision to stagger the suspensions, however, the alternative was to make the Dragons basically field a reserve grade team for their next game against Manly on Friday week after this round’s bye.

Regardless the ongoing suspensions will damage the team’s hopes for weeks to come, potentially ruining their chances of playing finals this year.

The Dragons currently sit seventh on the NRL ladder.

Hardest hit will be party host Vaughan who has been slapped with a eight match ban as well as a $50,000 fine.

Paul Vaughan will miss eight matches. Picture: Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty

The NRL issued the following statement:

“The National Rugby League (NRL) has issued Breach Notices to 13 St George Illawarra Dragons players alleging they failed to comply with the game’s biosecurity protocols and withheld key information from the NRL Integrity Unit.

The NRL alleges that player Paul Vaughan invited players to a gathering at his home on Saturday 3 July which was attended by 12 teammates, in breach of NSW Public Health Orders and the Game’s biosecurity protocols. It’s alleged a number of players hid or fled the residence when NSW Police attended the home after complaints from neighbours.

It’s also alleged that a number of players gave or were involved in giving misleading information about the event during the NRL’s investigation into the breaches and that some of the players conspired to withhold key information from the NRL. The notices allege that all players involved knowingly breached the game’s biosecurity rules by attending the premeditated gathering. They were made aware of the game’s Biosecurity Protocols by the club and admit they knew they were breaching the game’s rules.

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The Breach Notice issued to Vaughan, who has previously been sanctioned by the NRL for breaches of the biosecurity rules in 2020 and who organised and hosted the gathering, proposes an 8 match suspension and a fine of $50,000. This takes into account Vaughan withholding key information from the Integrity Unit. The proposed sanctions for all other players who attended the gathering include one match suspensions and fines. Total fines for all players amount to $305,000. Players serving one-match suspensions will be split across a minimum of 2 Rounds and a maximum of 4 Rounds to ensure the Dragons have enough players available to field a squad each week.

The fines take into account past indiscretions and the varying salaries of the players.

NRL Chief Executive Andrew Abdo said the game alleges the players deliberately put at risk the continuity of the competition.

The NRL are set to look into the actions of a number of Dragons players on Saturday night.

“In our view the actions of the players were deliberate and some of the players withheld key information from the Integrity Unit,’’ he said.

“On the information we have, the players understood the protocols and deliberately chose to ignore them, they chose to risk the continuity of our competition. The sanctions handed down today puts every player in the game on notice, particularly repeat offenders – this sort of conduct will not be tolerated.

“There are many people working incredibly hard to keep the competition going – it’s a privilege to play football, not a right. We’ve made promises to the community and to state governments and we will do everything we can to honour those promises. I want to stress that there are almost 900 players and officials following strict biosecurity measures and the overwhelming number are doing the right thing, as they did last year.

“We will continue to work with all clubs and state governments to ensure compliance, the health and safety of the community, our players and officials the continuity of the competition.”

The players have 5 working days to respond to the Breach Notices.

De Belin twist in Dragons’ Covid breach

Jack de Belin is the latest Dragons player to be fined $1000 after being caught out attending the party at the home of teammate Paul Vaughan.

In a concerning twist, sources have revealed the NRL only stumbled upon de Belin’s attendance at the party after previous investigations and interviews with other Dragons players.

Initially the claims were that de Belin only had a brief stop-over however further conversations led to the NRL contacting him for a full interview and it was then determined he had stayed at the party for a much longer period.

That interview with the integrity unit occurred on Sunday before de Belin contacted police on Monday.

De Belin was not one of the players initially issued with a $1000 Covid fine.

It has already been alleged neighbours spotted other players doing a runner after police arrived but it is not known when de Belin left the party.

The ARL Commission is expecting the NRL’s final report mid-afternoon on Monday and want the investigation wrapped up by the close of business.

It is safe to assume there is going to be some significant punishment including fines and match suspensions.

Peter V’landys said the brazen Covid breach has the potential to bring the ­entire game of rugby league to a grinding halt.

The ARL Commission chairman has lashed out at the players who copped a $1000 fine from the NSW Police for attending the barbecue at the home of prop Paul Vaughan on Saturday night.

Jack de Belin has been fined along with 12 Dragons teammates. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It is understood Vaughan and his wife Ellie, Corey Norman, Zac Lomax, Josh McGuire, Jack Bird, Kaide Ellis, Blake Lawrie, Matt Dufty, Daniel Alvaro, Tyrell Fuimaono, Gerard Beale and Josh Kerr were the 13 people who received Penalty Infringement Notices from police on Sunday. De Belin was fined by police on Monday.

V’landys would not pre-empt any punishment as he awaits the NRL integrity unit to complete its investigation, as players continued to be interviewed on Sunday night.

But he vowed: “I am frustrated and that will turn to anger if it causes any damage to the game, especially with other state governments.”

And he said it wasn’t just the livelihoods of the players in danger.

“It not only affects their own incomes but it affects the incomes off all their fellow players, and not only their fellow players but the players into the future,” he added.

“Because if the game suffers financially it means that we will have less to pay in the future. What they have to appreciate is they are not only risking themselves. You are risking the whole game and you are risking every other player in the game.”

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said news players had breached the law and the league’s biosecurity rules in such a brazen fashion had left him “gutted”.

The Daily Telegraph understands neighbours called police about 9pm on Saturday to report the party on Wollongong Rd in Shellharbour, at the home of Vaughan, 30.

Moments after officers arrived, neighbours saw a number of people “running” from the home, but Vaughan and five teammates remained inside, while police sources say they found Norman’s wallet sitting on the barbecue, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Under the current Covid restrictions in place, visitors are not allowed to homes across Greater Sydney.

It is also a breach of the NRL’s current Level 4 Biosecurity Protocols which ban players leaving home unless training, playing or “completing an essential household task”, with Abdo saying he and V’landys would now have to consider punishments, which could include large fines or even suspensions.

Players apparently attended a party at Paul Vaughan’s house.

If all players at the home were made to isolate for 14 days it would severely impact the Dragons’ ability to field a side in their post-bye clash with Manly on July 14, which would be 12 days after the potential breach.

“I am extremely disappointed,” Abdo said.

“There is so much at stake and there are so many people adhering to very, very strict protocols to keep the competition safe and to keep the community safe and to keep the competition going.

“And depending on what the facts are that come out in the investigation, but if it is in fact just a clear breach of our protocols, I am extremely disappointed, frustrated and to be honest, I am gutted”.

Zac Lomax was one of the players caught at the party.

Fresh off an extraordinary golden point victory over the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, the Dragons group is believed to have gathered for a barbecue and to watch the Saturday night NRL games. Eyewitnesses said people began arriving at Vaughan’s home about 3.30pm carrying slabs of beer.

When police knocked on the door more than six hours later it is understood Ellie Vaughan answered, with officers finding her husband inside with Lomax, McGuire, Ellis and Lawrie.

Some in the group are understood to have initially claimed they did not know they had broken any rules.

But neighbours said shortly after police entered a number of men and women could be seen “scampering” out a side door of the home and “running” off down the street.

Corey Norman’s wallet was allegedly found on a BBQ. Picture: NRL Photos

“It wasn’t like they were playing music or being overly obvious, but as the night wore on they got louder and louder,” one resident said.

“The police arrived some time after 9pm and suddenly there were a lot of people running down the street, scampering out of the house.

“Maybe they were celebrating their great win and it didn’t bother us, but I think people are a little testy at the moment and it was almost as if it’s one rule for NRL players and another rule for the rest of us.”

It’s not Vaughan’s first Covid drama. Last August, he was forced to undergo 14 days in isolation after breaching the NRL’s ‘bubble’ by visiting a café ahead of a Dragons’ game against the Sydney Roosters.

Then coach Paul McGregor called Vaughan’s behaviour “selfish”.