Topine calls on former teammates to back $4 million claim

1 week ago 13

Some of Jackson Topine’s erstwhile teammates are expected to lend their enactment to the guardant successful his $4 cardinal ineligible enactment against Canterbury.

Topine claims helium was subjected to “assault” erstwhile forced to wrestle up to 35 teammates during a grooming league connected July 18, 2023.

In documents filed with the NSW Supreme Court, it is alleged the declaration of the erstwhile Australian Schoolboy was illegally terminated. He has not played shot since, with documents filed to the tribunal claiming Topine was incapable of doing so.

Those adjacent to Topine said helium had a 10- to 12-year NRL vocation up of him. Given the mean NRL wage exceeds $400,000 – and considering his presumption arsenic a inferior typical – they foretell helium could person earned much than that figure.

The Bulldogs said connected Wednesday they intended to support the claim.

“The committee unanimously agreed that it would vigorously support the nine and its worker [trainer] Travis Touma against the assertion lodged contiguous by a erstwhile player,” president Adam Driussi said aft a committee gathering connected Wednesday. “The nine volition beryllium making nary further comments astatine this time.”

Former Canterbury subordinate Jackson Topine.

The watershed case, should it spell each the mode to a hearing, could effect successful immoderate of the Bulldogs’ biggest names being called into the witnesser box.

Sources speaking connected the information of anonymity, fixed the substance is present earlier the courts, said immoderate players who witnessed the incidental were prepared to connection enactment to Topine.

That whitethorn travel successful the signifier of witnesser statements, and some sides are apt to telephone for immoderate of those astatine the wrestling league to attest should the substance proceed to a afloat hearing.

In a connection of assertion – which has been obtained by this masthead – Topine says Canterbury trainer Touma ordered him to wrestle a succession of teammates successful abbreviated intervals, which near the young subordinate “[requiring] assistance successful performing constricted carnal functions, including, lasting and walking”. The signifier is commonly referred to successful rugby league circles arsenic “shark bait”.

It is besides claimed Topine suffered “psychiatric injury” and “physical and intelligence impairment” arsenic a effect of “deprivation of liberty” and “unlawful corporal punishment”.

Court documents allege Touma told Topine’s teammates: “Don’t fto him up if he’s down, leap connected him consecutive away!”

The alleged punishment was said to beryllium due to the fact that helium was betwixt 8 and 10 minutes precocious for the wrestling session, but Topine insists helium was connected clip due to the fact that helium did not request to beryllium strapped, and was determination for the commencement of the existent conditioning.

According to nine sources speaking connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that they weren’t authorised to sermon the substance publicly, Touma was asked to beforehand the Bulldogs committee past twelvemonth astir the incident.

All directors walked distant contented with his mentation and nary further enactment was taken.

“The quality of the directives oregon instructions from the trainer are going to person to beryllium afloat explored,” salient sports lawyer Tim Fuller said.

“There volition beryllium an constituent of workplace bullying, harassment oregon coercion to those instructions [for the lawsuit to succeed]. If it’s recovered they are conscionable mean instructions successful the people of an aggravated grooming session, past the assertion is apt to fail.

“As a caveat, 1 important contented inactive to beryllium explored is the information Jackson Topine returned to grooming momentarily.”

The Bulldogs person kept the NRL abreast of the Topine contented since it surfaced past year, with each media outlets refraining from naming the 22-year-old owed to concerns astir his intelligence health.

However, helium was publically identified arsenic the subordinate astatine the centre of the alleged grooming incidental aft documents were filed successful tribunal connected Wednesday.

“These guys are not yesterday’s athletes,” said 1 subordinate manager, who requested anonymity to sermon the substance freely. “Pound for pound, they are among the strongest successful the satellite – and to deliberation helium had to wrestle 30 of them.”

The Rugby League Players’ Association has lent enactment to Topine, but stressed it wasn’t enactment to the civilian proceedings.

“If determination are alleged breaches of the CBA and NRL rules, we would expect those to beryllium investigated by the NRL successful accordance with the CBA and NRL rules,” a national spokesperson said.

“To the champion of our knowledge, determination has been nary ceremonial probe by the NRL into Jackson’s issue.

“We ever prioritise that clubs are harmless and supportive workplaces for players and that protecting their payment is paramount. The CBA, arsenic a corporate agreement, enforces those industry-specific rights and remunerations for players.

“NRL and NRLW players, though, arsenic employees, inactive person idiosyncratic rights nether Australian instrumentality that beryllium extracurricular the CBA, and determination are ineligible avenues players tin travel if they judge those rights person been denied.”