NRL fines Fifita over pre-season incident

Titans forward David Fifita has accepted a $20,000 (US$15,230) fine from the NRL after he was found to have breached the Alcohol Code of Conduct and brought the game into disrepute.

The Queensland representative has been fined $20,000 with $10,000 (US$7,615) suspended for 12 months.

Fifita must also complete, to the NRL’s satisfaction, counselling, education and training, in consultation with the Titans.

The NRL announced on Wednesday the breach notice, which states "he breached the NRL Rules when he entered the premises of a home, which he did not reside in, on 27 December, 2020".

Although it was accepted Fifita believed he had been invited to the home, "his conduct in immediately entering on his own showed poor judgment and fell significantly short of his obligations as an NRL player".

No criminal action was taken against Fifita and the Titans have been cautioned for not promptly disclosing the club’s payment for a security system which was installed in the home after the incident. 

As part of the sanctions, Fifita will pay for the cost of the system, in addition to his fine and the NRL announced there were no salary cap implications relating to this matter. 

Fifita played for Queensland in last Wednesday's Origin loss to NSW in Townsville and has been selected in the second row for Gold Coast's clash with Manly on Sunday at Cbus Super Stadium after overcoming a head knock in the loss to the Roosters last Saturday.

 

Photo file Caption: Titans forward David Fifita