League: Binge-drinkers a headache across codes

Another week, another lineup of Aussie footballing bad boys.

Despite the insistence from NRL and AFL clubs that they are doing their level best to educate and eradicate, alcohol-fuelled incidents continue to make a liberal splash on the back pages.

This week it's Brett Seymour from the Broncos, a club renowned as one of the NRL's more stringent disciplinarians, who is facing an allegation of a bar-room assault of a young woman after a complaint to police.

Yesterday, AFL club Collingwood slapped a A$5000 ($6215) fine on two of their players, Chris Tarrant and Ben Johnson, for their involvement in a brawl outside a Melbourne nightclub.

The list of incidents this year is too lengthy to be recounted in full, headed by former Kiwis league international Tevita Latu breaking a woman's nose in May after a minor altercation in the early hours.

He paid a huge price for his moment of drunken madness - deregistered by the NRL and unlikely to ever play in Australia again.

Other incidents involving both codes include drink driving, crashing cars under the influence, punching a heckling fan, biting a woman on the arm in a bar, riding a street-sweeping vehicle, and a shoving match in a bar over a woman.

Punishments, involving heavy suspensions and fines, are swift when clubs discover their players' hijinks, but it seems they aren't yet a deterrent as the drinking culture of letting off steam after matches continues.

The Warriors haven't been immune this year, with wing Misi Taulapapa having his contract torn up after several incidents involving excessive drinking.

But under the guidance of senior players Ruben Wiki and Steve Price, the Warriors have generally been well behaved off the field.

Parramatta went from a club in turmoil to finals contenders as their losing streak ended and the wins mounted up at the same time as their players stayed out of the headlines.

The Manly Sea Eagles insist they are incident-free this year due to strict protocols.

"The team, as a rule, goes out together and no women are allowed," team manager Peter Peters told The Australian.

"We've not had a single incident in the past three seasons, since we brought in a stringent code of conduct."

Rugby has been largely incident-free with one glaring exception - Wallaby Wendell Sailor who received a two-year ban for testing positive for recreational drugs.

A-League soccer club Sydney FC, which has noted party animal Dwight Yorke in its ranks, say they have no need for curfews.

"We've never had any problems. The players are sensible and are aware of their obligations to the club and the game," a club spokesman said.

- NZPA