NRL player banned, fined for biosecurity breach

‘‘I’m very, very concerned about what is happening with these NRL players and you would have seen that imagery of the family hotel where they were sharing goods between verandahs.’’ Jeannette Young Queensland’s chief medical officer

Api Koroisau has been banned for two games and fined $35,000 after a biosecurity breach that prompted Queensland Health officials to warn they are close to kicking the NRL out of the state.

Koroisau was last night hit hard by the NRL, suspended immediately and rubbed out of Penrith’s clash with Brisbane today. But the reality is the implications could have been far worse, with the incident another hit to the delicate relationship between the Queensland Government and NRL that is keeping the competition going.

It also follows vision of NRL families quarantining in Queensland hotels passing food to each other on balconies, breaching government protocols that were enacted late on Wednesday night.

The NRL has been granted exemptions to continue the competition in Queensland based on assurances players and staff follow strict protocols agreed to by the government.

But asked yesterday at what point the NRL’s exemptions could be revoked, Queensland’s chief medical officer Jeannette Young said: ‘‘I’m getting very close to it.

‘‘I’m very, very concerned about what is happening with these NRL players and you would have seen that imagery of the family hotel where they were sharing goods between verandahs.

‘‘If I have any more breaches, I am very concerned. It’s for all of them. This is too risky.

‘‘We just cannot have people

deliberately breaching the rules.’’

It comes after the NRL was blindsided on Thursday night by a Daily Mail report claiming Koroisau twice snuck a woman into NSW Origin camp before Game II.

An integrity unit investigation was immediately launched after the NSWRL made the authority aware of the allegations.

Already the NRL has handed down harsh penalties for biosecurity breaches, including a two-game ban to Jai Arrow who breached the Queensland Origin bubble in game three.

The NRL also handed down suspensions and fines worth $305,000 to St George Illawarra players after a now-infamous barbecue at Paul Vaughan’s home.

In a statement last night, NRL

CEO Andrew Abdo stressed there were now more protections in place since entering the Queensland hub to ensure bubble breaches did not occur.

‘‘All club hotels, under quarantine orders, are currently fenced off from the public and patrolled by security 24 hours a day,’’ he said.

‘‘We are taking every precaution to ensure there is no breach of the protocols and to keep the Queensland community safe.

‘‘The environment has rapidly changed since this breach and players understand the consequences of failing to comply with the protocols.’’

The Penrith club also claimed its hooker now understood the potential ramifications he could have had on the game, with Mitch Kenny to replace him at dummy-half against the Broncos.