Origin legend Mark Coyne breaks silence on ‘embarrassing’ Singapore arrest

Mark Coyne, the man responsible for the greatest State of Origin try in history, has recounted the night he was arrested and put in a police van in Singapore and the six weeks of hell that followed.

Mark Coyne was arrested and fined by Singapore police. Picture: Craig Greenhill

• NSW’s answer to Mark Coyne’s miracle try
• Sam Burgess hospitalised with scary injury
• Austereo make call of future of NRL streaker

An embarrassed Mark Coyne has apologised after being arrested and detained in Singapore following a confrontation with police just a day after arriving in the country.

Coyne has stood aside from his role on the ARLC after being hit with a $4100 fine for using vile and foul language towards police. He has been holed up in Singapore for the past six weeks after his passport was confiscated following his arrest.

Coyne fronted court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty and will now make his return to Sydney.

“I recognised I should’ve made a public statement earlier,” Coyne told The Daily Telegraph from Singapore on Wednesday night.

“It was a very embarrassing situation for me and my family. I was in a bit of shock. I’ve never been in trouble before.

Mark Coyne played for his state and country.

“I’m very embarrassed. It’s been a very humbling experience. I have a strong respect for the Singaporean police and the integrity they are held in. I’ve learnt a valuable lesson.”

The Daily Telegraph has learnt Coyne was visiting friends in Singapore. At the end of a night out Coyne was involved in a non-physical confrontation with a taxi driver having just arrived in the country.

It is the driver who called police on Coyne after 1am.

“I went out with friends for the evening,” Coyne said. “I realised I had too much to drink and I left the venue. That’s generally what I do. I do a bit of a runner.

“I left the venue realising I had too much to drink.

Coyne has stepped down from his ARLC Commissioner role. Picture: Craig Greenhill

“I had a misunderstanding with the taxi driver and he called police. By that time police and I resolved whatever issue I had with the taxi driver.”

It is understood Coyne was asked to produce his passport by police. He told the officers he had left it in his hotel safe but the local authorities deemed Coyne may have been an illegal immigrant and detained him.

It is here Coyne became severely agitated.

“As I do I left my passport in my hotel safe which I thought was the right thing to do,” Coyne said. “They regarded me as an illegal immigrant because I didn’t have my passport and my NSW driver’s licence wasn’t good enough.

“They put me into the police van. I admit that when I was put into the police van I was quite angry and frustrated. I was disorientated given I had only been in Singapore for a day.

“My language was bad. I’m not someone who usually swears. People who know me know I’ll rarely swear.

Mark Coyne was arrest in Singapore.

“I lost it and I swore really badly. I have to apologise for that. I’m really embarrassed I did that.

“Those actions are out of my normal character.

“I’m not someone who curses or swears. On this occasion I did.”

A State of Origin legend in his own right after scoring arguably Queensland’s greatest try, Coyne was in Singapore when NSW created an Origin moment of their own earlier this month.

Coyne apologised for his actions in court.

He said ARLC chairman Peter Beattie had been told of his indiscretion recently but opted to stand-down.

“We were advised (because of the) Singapore legal system it was in my best interests not to make any public comment but deal with the court case first,” Coyne said. “I recognise from an NRL perspective and what my role is, this is not the best way for things to happen. However I was acting on legal advice I had on the time over here.

“As a result I told Peter Beattie that I would step aside in my role to enable me to give a full explanation to my fellow commissioners when Peter is back from his break.”

Coyne had a decorated and unblemished NRL career spanning 11-years at the Dragons including six Tests and 19 matches for Queensland.

He transitioned into a successful business career after retiring in 1999. Coyne is the CEO of Employees Mutual Limited and has long been touted as a potential replacement to Beattie as ARLC Chairman after joining the Commission in February.

Beattie will reserve his judgement until meeting with Coyne.

“I had a talk with Mark today,” Beattie told The Daily Telegraph. “I need to look at all the facts and details. I am in Broome and he is in Singapore.”

Originally published as Origin legend Mark Coyne breaks silence on ‘embarrassing’ Singapore arrest