The NRL is set to sanction Valentine Holmes over his white-powder social media post, after hitting the North Queensland star with a breach notice over the image.
NRL officials on Wednesday informed Holmes he would be punished for bringing the game into disrepute for publicly associating the game with illegal drugs with the Saturday night post.
Under new guidelines pushed by the players’ union, Holmes’ proposed punishment will remain under wraps until the Queensland and Kangaroos representative responds to the notice.
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“It is alleged Holmes engaged in conduct which has brought the game and his club into disrepute by publicly associating the game with illegal drugs,” the NRL said in a statement.
“Holmes has five business days to respond to the breach notice.
“In accordance with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the RLPA, no information on any proposed sanction will be disclosed until the player has had the opportunity to respond to the alleged breach and the matter is finalised.”
Holmes was spoken to by the NRL integrity unit earlier in the week, in the first major off-field indiscretion after the majority of teams finished their seasons.
Melbourne players Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith and Chris Lewis were each suspended for one match and fined up to $30,000 in 2021 after a video showed them partying with a white powder.
Holmes was on Wednesday left out of the Prime Minister’s XIII squad to face Papua New Guinea on September 23 in Port Moresby.
The match is the last before the end-of-season Pacific Championships.
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