Bulldogs players face $40,000 fines in the wake of Mad Monday scandal

Furious NRL bosses have begun handing down their hefty penalties for the Bulldogs alcohol-fuelled Mad Monday scandal, with the worst players being hit hardest.

Among those being fined are Adam Ellitot and Asipeli, who each have to pay $15,000 after they stripped down naked and danced on tabletops at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel on Monday. 

Winger Marcelo Montoya also faces a hefty fine of $10,000 after he was spotted allegedly vomiting in public before passing out on the sidewalk.

Bulldogs stars  Adam Ellitot (left) faces a $15,000 fine after stripping down naked at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel on Monday. Teammate Marcelo Montoya (right) also faces a hefty fine of $10,000 after he was spotted allegedly vomiting in public.

It’s also understood the players are in danger of being charged for public nudity by police, who are also investigating the matter (pictured is Marcelo Montoya)

It’s also understood the players are in danger of being charged for public nudity by police, who are also investigating the matter, The Daily Telegraph reported.

As part of their internal investigations into the fiasco, it’s understood the players were also drug tested on Tuesday morning at the club’s Belmore headquarters. 

Laverty pathology drug testers – believed to have been contracted by the NRL – were spotted leaving the Bulldogs’ headquarters carrying sealed satchels.

The news follows a public dressing-down by the New South Wales sports minister, who condemned the players involved in the antics as a ‘bunch of d***heads’. 

Just five fans across Australia have made official complaints about the revelry. 

Police have not received any official complaints over the players’ behaviour, while the NRL has copped just five from fans concerned about the damage done to the game’s reputation. 

As the police, the Bulldogs and the NRL launched investigations, NSW Sports Minister and AFL fanatic Stuart Ayres launched a scathing attack on the players.

‘What a bunch of d***heads. No respect for themselves, their club or the fans that pay their salary,’ Mr Ayres said, according to The Daily Telegraph.  

Some of the NRL club’s stars were pictured stripping naked and vomiting in the street during a drunken end of season celebration at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel on Monday

Police are sifting through the hotel’s CCTV footage after attending the scene on Tuesday morning when they were made aware of ‘potential licensing issues’. 

Photographs captured by The Daily Telegraph showed second rower Adam Elliott having his genitals grabbed by a teammate, while another player was seen standing over his own vomit.

Furious NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said action will ‘no doubt’ be taken against the Bulldogs, claiming the club’s antics have let the game down ahead of the finals.  

An unhappy Greenberg would not speculate on sanctions but made it clear the Bulldogs would be punished after briefing clubs about Mad Monday etiquette recently.

Pictured: The hotel balcony where Bulldogs players were seen stripping naked and dancing on tabletops  

NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres (pictured) labelled the players involved a ‘bunch of d***heads’

He said the NRL will announce the punishment after receiving the Bulldogs’ report on the matter on Wednesday.

‘There’s no doubt we will take some action… I am terribly disappointed to even be talking about this today,’ Greenberg said on Tuesday. 

Greenberg said the behaviour had given the game a ‘black eye’ before the Friday night’s Melbourne-South Sydney opening qualifier.

‘We had a detailed discussion (with clubs about Mad Monday) … so the expectations were very, very clear and the Bulldogs have let down the game today,’ he said.

‘I have no problem with people celebrating the end of their season as long as they do it respectfully. On this occasion they have made some poor choices.

‘It’s embarrassing for the players first of all, it’s embarrassing for their club and it’s embarrassing for the game.

‘I just do not understand the fascination with footballers who want to take their clothes off… it’s idiotic.’ 

Police arrived at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel on Tuesday morning after Bulldogs stars were seen stripping naked and vomiting in the street during their Mad Monday celebrations

NRL boss Todd Greenberg (pictured) says ‘idiotic’ Bulldogs players have ‘let down the game’

Rugby League Players’ Association CEO Ian Prendergast agreed but said he was concerned about the ‘intrusive nature of the reporting’.

‘While we accept players have stepped out of line on this occasion, they are entitled to let their hair down at the end of a tough year,’ he said in a statement.

‘Given the emotion involved around incidents such as these, it’s important that we all take a deep breath and put things into context, while working through the process in a measured way.’

He said the RLPA would monitor the situation to ensure the players were ‘treated fairly’. 

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs responded to the photographs on Tuesday morning

The end of season celebrations were held in a private section of the hotel, but the partying could be heard and seen by the public.

A chant of ‘yeah the boys!’ was heard as Brett Morris and others left the poker machine room, according to the paper.

His brother Josh addressed the controversy on Tuesday morning with an Instagram post, which he captioned: ‘Perception vs reality’. 

The post, which has since been deleted, showed an image of Prince William shot at two different angles.

In one, the Prince appeared to hold three fingers in the air, while in the other, he seemed to flip the bird to the crowd.   

Josh Morris (left) posted a photo of Prince Harry on Tuesday, appearing to suggest the images of his teammates were taken out of context

Josh Morris shared this Instagram post, which he captioned: ‘Perception vs reality’. It has since been deleted 

The Bulldogs responded on Tuesday morning and said the photos were a ‘bad look for the game’.

‘In regard to images from the team’s get together on Monday, the club accepts that they were unacceptable and a poor reflection on the individuals involved and the club,’ the Bulldogs said in a statement.

‘The players are aware of their responsibilities and the standards required when representing the club and yesterday’s behaviour was unacceptable and a bad look for the game.

‘The club will now work with all relevant stakeholders to gather information and fully review what took place yesterday. The club is also working closely with the NRL in regard to determining the next steps in this review.’

Adam Elliott of the Bulldogs passes during the round 23 NRL match against the New Zealand Warriors at ANZ Stadium last month

Scores of rugby league fans took to social media to defend the players. 

Scores of NRL fans took to social media to defend the players

‘Blokes go out on the p*** at the end of the working year. Happens all over the world,’ one fan wrote.

‘The fact these blokes have to control their drinking for previous eight months or so means it’s going to hit them harder than most, and it does. Give the poor blokes a break.’  

It isn’t the first time Mad Monday drinks have gone awry for the club after some attendees were recorded allegedly making sexist remarks to a female journalist during post-season celebrations at Belmore Oval in 2012.

In the aftermath, the NRL recommended Canterbury make a $30,000 charity contribution out of the players’ own pockets.

The Bulldogs said two-of-the-three derogatory remarks were directed at English forward James Graham and not the journalist.

The side’s 12th-placed finish this season was one spot lower than last year, when coach Des Hasler was sacked despite having more than two years left on his contract.

The players begin off-season training on November 1 with the of aim avoiding a third straight finals absence for the first time in more than 50 years.  

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS’ WILD MAD MONDAY CELEBRATIONS: A TIMELINE  

Monday, 1pm: Players and officials arrive at The Harbour View Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney.

2pm: Canterbury stars, including Lachlan Lewis, Adam Elliott and Brett Morris are seen downing shots and beers in a roped off section of the hotel.

4-5pm: Elliott and others are seen stripping naked and dancing on tabletops to the tune of Neil Diamond.

Bulldogs coach Dean Pay is tackled by brothers Brett and Josh Morris.

A chant of ‘yeah the boys!’ is heard as Brett Morris and others leave the poker machine room. 

About 7pm: Lewis, 22, is pictured being helped into an Uber by two other revellers.

Tuesday, about 8.30am: Police arrive at the pub after being made aware of ‘potential licensing issues’.

10am: The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs respond to the photographs, describing them as ‘unacceptable’.  

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