Record fine for Bulldogs

Adam Elliott and Asipeli Fine have both copped heavy fines from Canterbury after the club were slugged with a record AU$250,000 (NZ$272,230) sanction for their Mad Monday saga by the NRL.

The Bulldogs were issued with a breach notice yesterday after images of players stripping naked and passing out on the street were published by media outlets on Tuesday.

The club has five days to respond and chief executive Andrew Hill said they accepted the behaviour was inappropriate, but he did not indicate whether he would challenge the fine’s severity.

Hill handed down AU$25,000 (NZ$27,270) fines to Elliott and Fine – of which AU$10,000 (NZ$10,890) is suspended – after the nude images of the pair appeared in the media.

Marcelo Montoya and Zac Woolford were also fined AU$10,000 (NZ$10,890), with AU$5000 (NZ$5,450) suspended. No staff present at the event have been were sanctioned.

None of the players were suspended from any matches, but Greenberg revealed three players were under police investigation.

‘‘These are good people who have acted in an immature and juvenile way. They have accepted responsibility for their actions and have apologised to the club for their behaviour,’’ Hill said.

Greenberg said he took a dim view of the incident given the event was organised by the club and senior officials, including coach Dean Pay and general manager of football Gareth Holmes, who were both present at the Harbour View Hotel in Sydney’s Rocks.

‘‘The club organised the event and failed to implement the most basic of measures to ensure it was conducted in an appropriate way,’’ he said. ‘‘The club’s failure to manage the event followed specific directives to all clubs to ensure these type of events do not damage our game.

‘‘The players’ behaviour embarrassed themselves, their club and the game.’’

It is the biggest fine the NRL has handed down for behavioural issues.

By comparison, two years ago Mitchell Pearce was fined $125,000 (NZ$136,120) over his lewd Australia Day video. Greenberg, a former CEO of the Bulldogs, said he wanted to send a message after the drama diverted attention from the first week of the finals.