{"id":358124,"date":"2025-12-19T10:45:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358124\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:45:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:45:40","slug":"nrl-bans-player-agents-fines-melbourne-and-the-sydney-roosters-and-gives-tonga-more-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358124\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL bans player agents, fines Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters, and gives Tonga more time"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NRL<\/a> has banned four of the game\u2019s biggest player agents, in end-of-year sanctions that will leave several stars without their usual manager for the start of 2026.<\/p>\n

Chris Orr, Mario Tartak, Nash Dawson and Matt Desira were all given suspensions on Thursday for integrity matters, along with a combined $60,000 in fines.<\/p>\n

It comes as the NRL has also threatened fines against Melbourne<\/a> and the Sydney Roosters<\/a> over alleged salary-cap and selection breaches.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Head office claims the Roosters breached the supplementary and training cap by $36,070 in 2024, with the club facing a fine of that value.<\/p>\n

The Storm are also accused of twice selecting a player who was on a training contract in 2025. They are facing a fine of $25,000, with half of it suspended.<\/p>\n

On a busy Thursday, Melbourne\u2019s Shawn Blore was the other player to earn the NRL\u2019s ire, handed a breach notice after pleading guilty to a common assault in Sydney last July.<\/p>\n

In further news, it is understood head office has agreed to grant Tonga\u2019s medical staff more time to decide whether to fight their two-year bans for the handling of Eliesa Katoa\u2019s repeated head knocks.<\/p>\n

But it is the four agents who were hardest hit on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Tartak was handed a 12-month ban and $25,000 fine for allegedly communicating with an under-age player without a guardian present.<\/p>\n

It was also claimed that Tartak entered into a commercial arrangement with two NRL clubs, in breach of the rules.<\/p>\n

Tartak is one of the game\u2019s most powerful agents, and has the likes of Haumole Olakau\u2019atu and the Fainu brothers on his books.<\/p>\n

Of his clients, Damien Cook is the biggest name off contract this year.<\/p>\n

Orr and Dawson were both suspended for six months and fined $10,000 and $15,000 respectively over an altercation while away at a schoolboys competition last year.<\/p>\n

Orr is the owner and director of sport at Pacific Sport Management, whose talent list includes Dylan Brown, Selwyn Cobbo, Jahrome Hughes and Valentine Holmes.<\/p>\n

Dawson, meanwhile, looks after the affairs of Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Robert Toia, among others.<\/p>\n

Desira has been suspended for six months after the NRL accused him of \u201cnon-reporting and dishonesty following police charges and court proceedings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Desira looks after Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, and recently completed long-term deals for both Viliame Kikau and Jayden Campbell.<\/p>\n

Realistically, the impact on players will likely be minimal, with all four agents having colleagues in their company who can still handle their talent\u2019s affairs.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Tonga medical staff who were last week handed breach notices relating to the Katoa concussion will have their fate determined next year.<\/p>\n

Head doctor Peter Hackney, his assistant Hoani McFater and head trainer Jonathan Crawley are all facing two-year suspensions from any NRL competition or ARLC-associated event.<\/p>\n

The trio work with the Dolphins, Warriors and North Queensland respectively.<\/p>\n

It is understood at least one of the medical staff is seriously considering challenging the sanctions.<\/p>\n

A fourth, Warriors physio Steve Dean, was handed a formal warning.<\/p>\n

Katoa required urgent surgery after he suffered bleeding on the brain and seizure activity following three hits to the head in the space of two hours.<\/p>\n

The Storm second-rower was deemed not to require a full HIA after Tonga teammate Will Hopoate accidentally collected him in the head in the warm up.<\/p>\n

Katoa then passed an off-field HIA after another head knock in the first half of the match, before his game was ended by a third knock after halftime.<\/p>\n

He then fell ill on the sideline and was rushed to hospital, and while the 25-year-old is back running he has already been ruled out of at least the entire 2026 season.<\/p>\n

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