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NRL 2021: Dragons players fined $1000 over Covid biosecurity house party breach
Peter V’landys has lashed out at the 12 Dragons players who were caught breaking biosecurity protocols, saying the brazen breach could affect every player in the game.
Paul Crawley
,
Cydonee Mardon
and
Josh Hanrahan
3 min read
July 5, 2021 - 7:00AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
A barbeque that involved 12 St George Illawarra players and is under investigation by both the league and NSW Police for a Covid breach has the potential to bring the entire game of rugby league to a grinding halt, says Peter V’landys.
The ARL Commission chairman has lashed out at the players who copped a $1000 fine from the NSW Police for attending the barbecue at the home of prop Paul Vaughan on Saturday night.
It is understood Vaughan and his wife Ellie, Corey Norman, Zac Lomax, Josh McGuire, Jack Bird, Kaide Ellis, Blake Lawrie, Matt Dufty, Daniel Alvaro, Tyrell Fuimaono, Gerard Beale and Josh Kerr were the 13 people who received Penalty Infringement Notices from police on Sunday.
V’landys would not pre-empt any punishment as he awaits the NRL integrity unit to complete its investigation, as players continued to be interviewed on Sunday night.
But he vowed: “I am frustrated and that will turn to anger if it causes any damage to the game, especially with other state governments.”
And he said it wasn’t just the livelihoods of the players in danger.
“It not only affects their own incomes but it affects the incomes off all their fellow players, and not only their fellow players but the players into the future,” he added.
“Because if the game suffers financially it means that we will have less to pay in the future. What they have to appreciate is they are not only risking themselves. You are risking the whole game and you are risking every other player in the game.”
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said news players had breached the law and the league’s biosecurity rules in such a brazen fashion had left him “gutted”.
The Daily Telegraph understands neighbours called police about 9pm on Saturday to report the party on Wollongong Rd in Shellharbour, at the home of Vaughan, 30.
Moments after officers arrived, neighbours saw a number of people “running” from the home, but Vaughan and five teammates remained inside, while police sources say they found Norman’s wallet sitting on the barbecue, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Under the current Covid restrictions in place, visitors are not allowed to homes across Greater Sydney.
It is also a breach of the NRL’s current Level 4 Biosecurity Protocols which ban players leaving home unless training, playing or “completing an essential household task”, with Abdo saying he and V’landys would now have to consider punishments, which could include large fines or even suspensions.
If all players at the home were made to isolate for 14 days it would severely impact the Dragons’ ability to field a side in their post-bye clash with Manly on July 14, which would be 12 days after the potential breach.
“I am extremely disappointed,” Abdo said.
“There is so much at stake and there are so many people adhering to very, very strict protocols to keep the competition safe and to keep the community safe and to keep the competition going.
“And depending on what the facts are that come out in the investigation, but if it is in fact just a clear breach of our protocols, I am extremely disappointed, frustrated and to be honest, I am gutted”.
Fresh off an extraordinary golden point victory over the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, the Dragons group is believed to have gathered for a barbecue and to watch the Saturday night NRL games. Eyewitnesses said people began arriving at Vaughan’s home about 3.30pm carrying slabs of beer.
When police knocked on the door more than six hours later it is understood Ellie Vaughan answered, with officers finding her husband inside with Lomax, McGuire, Ellis and Lawrie.
Some in the group are understood to have initially claimed they did not know they had broken any rules.
But neighbours said shortly after police entered a number of men and women could be seen “scampering” out a side door of the home and “running” off down the street.
“It wasn’t like they were playing music or being overly obvious, but as the night wore on they got louder and louder,” one resident said.
“The police arrived some time after 9pm and suddenly there were a lot of people running down the street, scampering out of the house.
“Maybe they were celebrating their great win and it didn’t bother us, but I think people are a little testy at the moment and it was almost as if it’s one rule for NRL players and another rule for the rest of us.”
It’s not Vaughan’s first Covid drama. Last August, he was forced to undergo 14 days in isolation after breaching the NRL’s ‘bubble’ by visiting a café ahead of a Dragons’ game against the Sydney Roosters.
Then coach Paul McGregor called Vaughan’s behaviour “selfish”.
NRL 2021: Dragons players fined $1000 over Covid biosecurity house party breach
Peter V’landys has lashed out at the 12 Dragons players who were caught breaking biosecurity protocols, saying the brazen breach could affect every player in the game.
Paul Crawley
,
Cydonee Mardon
and
Josh Hanrahan
3 min read
July 5, 2021 - 7:00AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
A barbeque that involved 12 St George Illawarra players and is under investigation by both the league and NSW Police for a Covid breach has the potential to bring the entire game of rugby league to a grinding halt, says Peter V’landys.
The ARL Commission chairman has lashed out at the players who copped a $1000 fine from the NSW Police for attending the barbecue at the home of prop Paul Vaughan on Saturday night.
It is understood Vaughan and his wife Ellie, Corey Norman, Zac Lomax, Josh McGuire, Jack Bird, Kaide Ellis, Blake Lawrie, Matt Dufty, Daniel Alvaro, Tyrell Fuimaono, Gerard Beale and Josh Kerr were the 13 people who received Penalty Infringement Notices from police on Sunday.
V’landys would not pre-empt any punishment as he awaits the NRL integrity unit to complete its investigation, as players continued to be interviewed on Sunday night.
But he vowed: “I am frustrated and that will turn to anger if it causes any damage to the game, especially with other state governments.”
And he said it wasn’t just the livelihoods of the players in danger.
“It not only affects their own incomes but it affects the incomes off all their fellow players, and not only their fellow players but the players into the future,” he added.
“Because if the game suffers financially it means that we will have less to pay in the future. What they have to appreciate is they are not only risking themselves. You are risking the whole game and you are risking every other player in the game.”
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said news players had breached the law and the league’s biosecurity rules in such a brazen fashion had left him “gutted”.
The Daily Telegraph understands neighbours called police about 9pm on Saturday to report the party on Wollongong Rd in Shellharbour, at the home of Vaughan, 30.
Moments after officers arrived, neighbours saw a number of people “running” from the home, but Vaughan and five teammates remained inside, while police sources say they found Norman’s wallet sitting on the barbecue, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Under the current Covid restrictions in place, visitors are not allowed to homes across Greater Sydney.
It is also a breach of the NRL’s current Level 4 Biosecurity Protocols which ban players leaving home unless training, playing or “completing an essential household task”, with Abdo saying he and V’landys would now have to consider punishments, which could include large fines or even suspensions.
If all players at the home were made to isolate for 14 days it would severely impact the Dragons’ ability to field a side in their post-bye clash with Manly on July 14, which would be 12 days after the potential breach.
“I am extremely disappointed,” Abdo said.
“There is so much at stake and there are so many people adhering to very, very strict protocols to keep the competition safe and to keep the community safe and to keep the competition going.
“And depending on what the facts are that come out in the investigation, but if it is in fact just a clear breach of our protocols, I am extremely disappointed, frustrated and to be honest, I am gutted”.
Fresh off an extraordinary golden point victory over the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, the Dragons group is believed to have gathered for a barbecue and to watch the Saturday night NRL games. Eyewitnesses said people began arriving at Vaughan’s home about 3.30pm carrying slabs of beer.
When police knocked on the door more than six hours later it is understood Ellie Vaughan answered, with officers finding her husband inside with Lomax, McGuire, Ellis and Lawrie.
Some in the group are understood to have initially claimed they did not know they had broken any rules.
But neighbours said shortly after police entered a number of men and women could be seen “scampering” out a side door of the home and “running” off down the street.
“It wasn’t like they were playing music or being overly obvious, but as the night wore on they got louder and louder,” one resident said.
“The police arrived some time after 9pm and suddenly there were a lot of people running down the street, scampering out of the house.
“Maybe they were celebrating their great win and it didn’t bother us, but I think people are a little testy at the moment and it was almost as if it’s one rule for NRL players and another rule for the rest of us.”
It’s not Vaughan’s first Covid drama. Last August, he was forced to undergo 14 days in isolation after breaching the NRL’s ‘bubble’ by visiting a café ahead of a Dragons’ game against the Sydney Roosters.
Then coach Paul McGregor called Vaughan’s behaviour “selfish”.
