Former St George Illawarra Dragons five-eighth and Australian boxing legend Anthony Mundine has toldย The Daily Telegraphย that he implores the players sacked, fined and sanctioned for Covid breaches to take legal action and against the NRL and their club.
This tirade is the latest in Mundine's efforts to challenge the government's restrictions surrounding COVID-19.
The incident that sparked this was the recent house party at now-former Dragon prop Paul Vaughan's home on Saturday. Mundine's displeasure stemmed from the fines, suspensions and sackings dispersed among the 13 players that were in attendance, all of them breaking the current COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown laws.
In relation to this event, Mundine told The Daily Telegraphย that the players "did nothing wrong"
โThe players should fight this shit in court and beat it. They should take legal action and get onto the right lawyers. If I was backed into a corner I would fight it," he said.
โThese boys are being hard done by for no reason. Those rules (that the players broke) shouldnโt be there.
โIโm not being a smart arse or a dickhead. They are using COVID to take peopleโs freedom away, bro. Itโs wrong and sad. They are taking away their rights.
โThe players are living their lives and they canโt do it because of this so-called virus. Itโs ridiculous. This is getting out of hand. I donโt have a problem with (what the players did). People need to start standing up.
โIf it wasnโt for (Covid restrictions) then these players wouldnโt be in this position โ Vaughan wouldnโt be sacked. This could end him.
โ(Celebrating a win), thatโs what we do. As football players, I donโt drink, but that is part of the Australian culture. Getting together after a win, they didnโt do anything wrong. This is now affecting one of our beloved games โ rugby league.
โPeople die โ heart attacks, car accidents, whatever it may be. We are all guaranteed one thing in life and thatโs death. We all have to face that.โ
The 12 current Dragons players that were handed suspensions will all face time on the sidles as well as being hit with fines.
Daniel Alvaro,ย Gerard Bealeย Jack Bird,ย Jack De Belin, Matt Dufty,ย Kaide Ellis,ย Tyrell Fuimaono,ย Josh Kerr,ย Blake Lawrie,ย Zac Lomax,ย Josh McGuireย andย Corey Norman will have their bans spread across the next two to four matches.
Mundine played 116 matches across multiple stints with the St George Dragons and St George Illawarra Dragons in his NRL career that spanned between 1993-2000.
No formal report has been made about any of the players involved taking potential legal action.
