NRL should issue reminder to players – Behave yourself

With the season now over for several NRL teams, the infamous Mad Monday period is about to take place across the game.

But with it comes a warning, behave yourself or risk ruining your NRL career!

The 2018/2019 off-season saw a number of sex video scandals rock Australian rugby league.

Players thought it was a good idea to film their best sex games while making derogatory comments towards many of the women featured in them.

Many notable names were caught up in the controversies including Queensland and Canterbury Bulldogs star Dylan Napa.

The 26-year-old was fined 10 percent of his 2019 salary for appearing in a number of lewd videos, a punishment that should have deterred his peers.

But it didn’t, with several other stars including Penrith trio May, Phillips and Coleman caught in the act and investigated by the busier than normal NRL integrity unit.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg spent the off-season putting out fires related to player behaviour and a repeat situation needs to be avoided.

“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, they can expect a significant sanction,” Greenberg said.

It wasn’t just leaked videos that were a cause for concern with other NRL stars accused of serious crimes.

Sexual assault allegations against St. George Illawarra’s Jack de Belin and domestic violence accusations against Manly Sea Eagles’ Dylan Walker also dominated the headlines.

Updated rules this year will see players charged with serious criminal offences automatically stood down, with the game’s governing body urging players to stay out of trouble.

The build-up to the 2019 NRL season was one to forget, one that cannot be repeated.

So the message to all NRL players over the Mad Monday period is to enjoy yourself, but don’t take things to the point where you put your career and the sport in jeopardy!