By Nikolai Smith
Following a long list of incidents of NRL players behaving inappropriately off the field the NRL has hired a private investigator to look into off-field incidents that may occur next season.
This new move is part of new guidelines that have the aim of offering ‘players and clubs a more consistent approach to dealing with off-field incidents,” it was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
After the investigations the private-eye will then report to a panel that will assess whether the player’s club has taken the right action in response to players who misbehave.
The panel will be made up of former players Michael Buettner and Mark O’Neill and chief operating officer Graham Annesley.
The clubs will still the have responsibility of carrying out a first-up investigation into allegations of player misconduct, before the club’s report is reviewed by the private investigator, who may then decide to carry out his own investigation into the matter, before reporting to the panel.
After the panel has heard the report they can report to NRL chief executive David Gallop about whether the club has ‘taken sufficient action’ over an incident.
Gallop can then decide whether penalties should be imposed upon the player and club.
Gallop told the Sydney Morning Herald “Anyone who lets down the game has to know that they are also letting down their own teammates and has to know that it is their own club that will be the first to act."
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