The National Rugby League (NRL) has today issued Penrith Panthers player Brent Naden with a breach notice for failing to comply with the game’s 2020 biosecurity protocols.
The breach notice proposes Naden be fined $5,000 after he associated with people outside the Panthers’ bubble, on the evening prior to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final.
The fine is consistent with sanctions handed down to players who committed similar breaches during the 2020 season, which took into account the income of the Player.
Separately, the NRL has completed a thorough investigation into whether the Panthers had any knowledge of Naden using illicit substances on the evening prior to the Grand Final.
The NRL has found no evidence the club was aware of the breach prior to Naden playing in the Grand Final.
Naden has already served a one-month suspension in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code for returning a positive sample to Benzoylecgonine and Methylecgonine (metabolites of Cocaine).
Today’s sanction deals only with the biosecurity breach.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
