The NRL has issued a breach notice to the Penrith Panthers following an incident involving a club trainer during their Round 22 clash against the Gold Coast Titans.
The breach notice proposes a $50,000 fine for the club, along with a five-match suspension for the trainer involved.
According to the NRL, it is alleged that the trainer unnecessarily interfered with and distracted Titans fullback Jayden Campbell as he was attempting a conversion kick when the Titans led 26-24 —an act deemed to be in breach of both the NRL Operations Manual and the NRL Code of Conduct.
The proposed sanction reflects not only the severity of the interference but also takes into account previous breaches by Panthers trainers in recent seasons.
The NRL stated that it will continue to strictly enforce rules governing club trainer conduct, particularly those that allow trainers limited access to the field of play during matches.
Penrith now has five business days to respond to the breach notice.
