The NRL has penalised a number of Penrith stars for various incidents that occurred in the aftermath of the club’s grand final victory.
The governing body issued breach notices to Panthers captain Nathan Cleary and his teammate Stephen Crichton “alleging that they acted contrary to the best interests of the game after they were photographed on social media acting in a disrespectful manner toward the NRL trophy”.
The breach notice alleges the Provan-Summons trophy was damaged after the grand final, and that the two players “showed disrespect towards the individuals depicted in the iconic moment memoralised on the trophy”.
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The trophy shows Norm Provan and Arthur Summons embracing in what is an iconic rugby league moment.
Cleary and Crichton have been fined $7000 and $4000 respectively, taking into account the difference in their salaries.
The NRL has also issued a breach notice to Tyrone May “for posting and being part of social media posts which do not align with the values of the game”.
May posted on Instagram a disgraceful message in which he referenced his conviction last year of illegally disseminating a sex video without the consent of the woman involved.
May has been fined $7500.
In addition, the Panthers announced May has been stood down from all club duties until further notice.
Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher said; “The Panthers players had no intention to show disrespect towards the trophy, Norm Provan or Arthur Summons, however they understand that’s how their actions may have been interpreted.
“Everyone at Panthers is well aware of the immense contributions Norm and Arthur made to our game and the high esteem in which they are held by everyone involved in rugby league.
“On behalf of the club I sincerely apologise for any offence or distress this matter may have caused the Rugby League community and particularly the Provan and Summons families.”
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