Brisbane Broncos: Kelly and Haas learn their fate after altercation
Albert Kelly (left) and Payne Haas (right) in action for Brisbane Broncos
The NRL have handed Brisbane Broncos pair Albert Kelly and Payne Haas one-match suspensions as well as fines for their bust-up.
Last week, footage emerged of the duo in an altercation at a hotel in Sydney. This was after their round two win over Canterbury Bulldogs.
Kelly is already out for a couple of months anyway after suffering a Lisfranc injury. But Haas will not be available to face Penrith Panthers on Good Friday.
Haas has been hit with a $10,000 along with his ban, whilst Kelly has been fined $5,000.
The NRL Integrity Unit has completed its investigation into the incident, with both players facing bans and fines.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said: “We were disappointed by the incident and with the events that led to it, we need to be better than that.
“I’ve said before that if we want to talk the talk then we have to walk the walk, and we have let ourselves down here.
“We’ve been very public in saying that we want to be better as a club in everything we do, but we know that journey will have some bumps in the road.
“We need to learn from this and continue to provide our players with the support, education and environment they need and be better going forward.”
More on the NRL
Legends get behind huge fundraising effort by former Saints coach diagnosed with dementia
Strewth! Pitch invader gets wiped out as two NRL games interrupted
Latrell Mitchell is a doubt for State of Origin opener
Kelly said: “I want to apologise for what happened, I’m very disappointed about how I behaved.
“Payne and I spoke about what happened and we are all good. But I want to say sorry to all the sponsors and fans as well – this is not what we want to stand for at the Broncos.”
Haas said: “It was a silly way to react, and I called Alby the following morning to clear the air.
“Acting with any level of violence is not the way to sort something out. I told Alby that, and we have both moved on from it.
“I apologise for my actions and will work hard to be better.”
PLAY: Our free Fantasy Rugby League competition is back for 2022