MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's rugby league chief has demanded clubs take more responsibility for their players' leisure time after a local player was arrested and charged with affray at the weekend.
Masada Iosefa, a 21-year-old hooker for National Rugby League (NRL) club Penrith Panthers, had to be subdued with capsicum spray following a brawl between a group of men and security staff at a Sydney bar Saturday, Australian media reported.
Iosefa would defend charges of affray and for "failing to quit licensed premises" laid by police after the incident, but had been stood down for a week for bringing the club into disrepute, the Panthers said in a statement.
NRL chief executive David Gallop Monday said clubs needed to take more responsibility for their players on their days off after matches.
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"The alarming aspect is that once again it has involved players that played on a Friday night encountering problems later on the weekend," Gallop told The Australian newspaper.
"Clubs need to get on top of the situation."
The NRL has been plagued by off-field incidents involving players in recent months, prompting calls by some commentators for a blanket alcohol ban.
Last month, one of the league's marquee players was charged with sexual assault and suspended for four matches after an incident at his club's pre-season launch party. He has been allowed to return after suspension, despite a pending court case.
Three players from another club were fined last year for bringing their club into disrepute after they were subject to a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault. No charges were laid.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Martin Petty)
