CANTERBURY-Bankstown won't be banned from returning to the North Coast, although Group 3 rugby league chairman Wayne Bridge admitted it won't be after some serious thought.
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It comes in the wake of code of conduct breaches involving Bulldogs pair Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor and teenage girls during their pre-season trip to Port Macquarie on February 29.
"Until we have some discussions (with the NSWRL and the Bulldogs), we are assuming it will be business as usual," Mr Bridge said of the five-year partnership agreement the club had with the region.
"With everything relating to the costs (of hosting the game) and what happened afterwards, we would have a good, hard, long look at if we were interested in hosting (an NRL trial) again.
"It makes you stop and wonder if it's doing us any good."
With everything relating to the costs (of hosting the game) and what happened afterwards, we would have a good, hard, long look at if we were interested in hosting (an NRL trial) again.
- Group 3 chairman Wayne Bridge
Mr Bridge admitted the incident took the gloss off what was otherwise a successful visit, feeling it could result in modified visits around the community for any future trips.
"I had a chat with the Bulldogs CEO just after the game and they were happy and said they would definitely be back, but in what capacity or role we now don't know," he said.
"If they were to come back I doubt they would be doing school visits; it would be outside of school hours."
There was no police investigation related to the incident and Mr Bridge commended the Bulldogs on how swiftly they acted.
"The club took immediate action in standing the players down; they don't condone what they did," he said.
"(The punishment) might have been a little bit strong, but unfortunately that's the way it is."
Canterbury issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming the NRL had deregistered Harawira-Naera and Okunbor's contracts.
The NRL have today deregistered both Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera with immediate effect and as a result their playing contracts with the Bulldogs have been cancelled.
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs statement
"The NRL have today deregistered both Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera with immediate effect and as a result their playing contracts with the Bulldogs have been cancelled," the statement read.
"The conduct of the two players, on the eve of our final trial match, demonstrated an unacceptable lack of respect for their teammates, their coach and club officials, our hosts in Port Macquarie and fans of the game everywhere.
"An important part of the role of being a professional rugby league player is to promote the game and act as an ambassador for your club and the code.
"There can be no tolerance for any abuse of the privileged status the game affords its leading players."
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