Jet grounded: Roberts penalty handed down by NRL for protocol breach

Wests Tigers' centre James Roberts has been hit with a substantial penalty from the NRL for his COVID protocol breach.

A directive from Queensland health, all players and their families who are currently isolating were unable to open the doors to their rooms.

Roberts breached the policy by going onto the balcony of his hotel room, it was confirmed in a statement by the Tigers on Tuesday.

Now the NRL have confirmed Roberts will be suspended for one game, and fined a total of $35,000.

The suspension, however, will not commence until the veteran centre is out of quarantine in Queensland. While all players who flew to Queensland out of the NRL bubble in the first wave didn't need to quarantine on their arrival into the state, Roberts missed the original trip along with other players and was forced into two weeks of isolation.

Roberts will also need to complete education and training programs in line with the NRL breach notice.

The NRL's statement said it had taken into account Roberts' difficulties in dealing with the forced quarantine period, with reports suggesting he was struggling during the two-week period.

The centre, who is a three-time New South Wales Origin representative, is at his fifth NRL club and while he has more than 150 games under his belt, has often struggled off field.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 20: James Roberts of the Rabbitohs walks from the field during the round 18 NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at 1300SMILES Stadium on July 20, 2019 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

To some fans however, the penalty didn't seem anywhere near right, given Penrith Panthers Apisai Koroisau was recently hit with only a two-match ban for two breaks of the NRL's bubble during the State of Origin window.

The Queensland government, however, have already threatened the NRL with expulsion from the state, with numerous breaches before the game arrived in Brisbane, to go with two in the Origin bubble from Koroisau and Jai Arrow.