St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW prop Seriah Palepale has been stood down after being arrested following an alleged high-speed police chase through South West Sydney.
The 19-year-old L-plater was arrested on Thursday night after allegedly leading police on a pursuit at speeds of up to 200km/h in a 90km/h area.
According to court documents, the chase began after Palepale was caught speeding by highway patrol in the Appin area before allegedly failing to stop when directed by police.
The pursuit came to an end when Palepale crashed into a telegraph pole. She escaped the crash without injury and was taken to Campbelltown Police Station after being assessed.
Palepale was subsequently charged with four offences, including driving dangerously during a police pursuit, not stopping when directed by police, driving with a suspended licence and speeding more than 45km/h over the limit as an L-plater.
She appeared before Campbelltown Local Court on Friday, where she pleaded guilty to the charges and was granted bail according to a News Corp report.
As part of her bail conditions, Palepale has been banned from occupying the driver's seat of a motor vehicle or motorcycle and ordered to attend weekly counselling sessions, according to court records.
She will return to court for sentencing on October 16.
The arrest comes just days after Palepale made her NRLW debut for the Dragons, coming off the bench in their 22-18 victory over the New Zealand Warriors.
The teenager, who was an Australian Schoolgirl in 2024, had been sidelined earlier this year with an ankle injury and was set to feature again this weekend against the Brisbane Broncos.
The Dragons have now stood her down and referred the matter to the NRL integrity unit.
“The St George Illawarra Dragons are aware that NRLW player Seriah Palepale has been charged by NSW Police following an incident overnight and appeared before the courts today,” a spokesman said.
“The club has notified the NRL integrity unit and will work closely with Seriah, the NSW Police and the NRL as the matter progresses.
“Palepale has been stood down from playing duties ahead of this weekend's clash with Broncos.
“The club will not make any further comment at this time.”
