A Canterbury star has reportedly walked out on the Bulldogs after he was allegedly forced to wrestle at least 12 of his teammates as part of a training ‘punishment’.
The NRL club has now launched an investigation into the incident, the Daily Telegraph reports, after the player went AWOL following a disagreement with coaching staff.
The incident, which reportedly happened recently, involved the unnamed player turning up for training and being told he was late.
The player is understood to have said he believed he was well within the time limit set for training but he was allegedly made to wrestle more than a dozen of his teammates as ‘punishment’.
Distraught and upset, the player left training. He is under contract until the end of next season, but has reportedly vowed not to return.
The Rugby League Players Association confirmed it was also investigating the incident.
‘The RLPA is aware of a matter and we will continue working with the player and his representatives to address it. Once we have completed that process, we will then contact club officials,’ RLPA CEO Clint Newton said.
‘We must stress that matters of this nature are incredibly private and confidentiality should be respected.’
The publication reported that another Bulldogs player was handed the same punishment for being late to training the following week.
When asked about the incident, Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton said: ‘The whole process is very sensitive – I can’t comment.’
The latest incident comes amid reports that another player, Braidon Burns, expressed concerns after a training session last week. He joined his manager, Allan Gainey, in meeting Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould to discuss the situation.
Burns was struggling to complete training drills due to a hamstring injury. His agent is now exploring opportunities for the player in the UK Super League.
