The NRL have promised to throw the book at any player who appears in future lewd videos after showing leniency to Dylan Napa.
The Canterbury marquee recruit was fined 10 per cent of his salary - believed to be around $50,000 - after the leaking last year of three videos which featured Napa engaged in sexual acts.
A clearly frustrated NRL CEO Todd Greenberg admonished the Queensland Origin prop, labelling his actions "gross, juvenile and disrespectful".
"If there was a grading in our system for stupidity, this behaviour would be at the very top end," Greenberg said.
However he stopped short of standing him down for the start of the NRL season.
"I've thought about this long and hard and I'm frustrated by the conduct and the stupidity," Greenberg said.
"I would say the length of time (ago) that it happened gives credence for me to consider the sanction.
"I'm trying to find a balance here that's fair and reasonable on the player and the club that he's playing for. Not everyone will agree with that sanction."
It's rumoured there are several other videos in circulation of NRL players performing lewd acts.
And Rugby League Central is concerned that parties which may wish to harm certain clubs would time the leaking of the videos to hit them hardest and in an effort to have a certain player stood down.
Therefore they chose to impose a fine, rather than a sanction on Napa.
However Greenberg said that if a player appears in a crude video which is made at any point in the future, they could expect to be stood down.
"I would suggest that every NRL player would be acutely aware now that if they distribute or take video which are idiotic, senseless and juvenile and distribute them around and it gets out, the can expect a significant sanction," Greenberg said.
Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill said the club accepted the NRL's sanctions and hoped to draw a line under the episode.
Share
