Luciano Leilua ruled out of World Cup after being stood down by NRL

Drew Darbyshire 06 Oct 2022 9:19 AM

Luciano Leilua North Queensland Cowboys PA

Samoa forward Luciano Leilua won’t feature in the World Cup after being stood down under the NRL’s No-Fault policy after he was charged over alleged domestic violence offences.

The NRL said Leilua was charged with “common assault (domestic violence related) and intentionally or reckless destroy/damage property (domestic violence related) after an incident with a 26-year-old woman.

The North Queensland Cowboys forward is not permitted to participate in the NRL or the World Cup after “allegations the player acted violently in relation to a female.

NRL statement on Luciano Leilua

It read: “The National Rugby League (NRL) is aware that New South Wales Police have charged Luciano Leilua with common assault (domestic violence related) and intentionally or recklessly destroy/damage property (domestic violence related) following an alleged incident on Monday 3 October 2022.

“The NRL has advised the North Queensland Cowboys that Luciano Leilua is subject to a No-Fault Stand Down condition under the NRL Rules.

“The decision should in no way be interpreted as a view on the innocence or guilt of the player.

“The discretionary No-Fault Stand Down condition has been applied in this instance as the criminal charges involve allegations that the player has acted violently in relation to a female.

“Under the condition, the player is not permitted to participate as a player in the NRL competition or any representative competitions. The No-Fault Stand Down condition is recognised by the Rugby League World Cup.”

North Queensland Cowboys statement

A club statement read: “The NRL have today invoked their no-fault stand down policy for North Queensland Cowboys player Luciano Leilua.

“Accordingly, Leilua will now be stood down from all club duties.

“The Cowboys will continue to provide support to all parties involved and will await the completion of the court process before making any further comment.”

Leilua has made more than 100 appearances in the NRL for St George Illawarra Dragons, Wests Tigers and the Cowboys. He made his international debut for Samoa in 2019 and represented his Samoan heritage at the Nines World Cup that year.