The Bulldogs have vowed to “vigorously” defend claims made against the club and trainer Travis Touma by former backrower Jackson Topine amid reports his former teammates will support him in his $4m lawsuit.
Topine, 22, has accused his former club of “unlawful corporal punishment” over an incident in July 2023 in which he claims he was forced to wrestle every member of the team’s first-grade squad as punishment for being late to training.
The former Australian Schoolboys captain and Maori All Stars player has not played a game of rugby league since.
The Australian reports lawyers representing Topine claim he suffered “psychiatric injury” along with “physical and mental impairment” as a result of the punishment and his contract was later terminated illegally.
A statement of claim lodged in the NSW Supreme Court this week names Bulldogs trainer Touma as the person who directed the team to conduct the wrestling punishment.
The Bulldogs held a board meeting on Wednesday night, with chair Adam Druissi declaring at its conclusion the club would fight the allegations.
“The Board unanimously agreed that it would vigorously defend the Club and its employee Travis Touma against the claim lodged today by a former player,” Druissi said.
“The club will be making no further comments at this time.”
That verdict has set the scene for some of the biggest names in rugby league to take the witness stand with The Daily Telegraph reporting sources have claimed the entire Bulldogs playing squad, as well as coach Cameron Ciraldo and head of football Phil Gould, would be likely to give evidence.
It’s been reported that some former teammates of Topine at the Bulldogs will support him in his case against the club.
Also expected to be in Topine’s corner as the case unfolds is the players union, with the RLPA putting pressure on the NRL to investigate the potential breaching of CBA and NRL rules on Wednesday night.
“The RLPA has not been involved in the civil proceedings,” the RLPA statement read.
“That is not unusual, particularly given the issues raised appear to engage areas of employment law that sit outside the direct terms of the CBA.
“Like any employee they are entitled to do that and we support them pursuing their rights.
“We have engaged with Jackson and his management in relation to his wellbeing and contractual rights and entitlements, and they are aware of the support available from the RLPA.”
Landmark lawsuit slammed by Anasta
Meanwhile, former NRL star and Bulldogs playmaker Braith Anasta said training punishments, known as “penalties” – similar to the wrestling Topine was forced to do – were commonplace at NRL clubs.
“My understanding is he’s gone to training, he’s rocked up late and therefore got penalties,” Anasta told news.com.au.
“The Canterbury Bulldogs were in a wrestling session so those penalties turned into wrestling.
“That is something that happens on the weekly. If you are late and you’ve let your team down, there is a punishment, we all know that. Every player knows that.
“Sometimes it’s not actually the player that gets punished. They punish the rest of the team to show that player that you’ve let the team down.
“It’s so common. I’m shocked by it (Topine’s lawsuit). Apparently he finished the session, was fine, came back the next day and was named 18th man and this has transpired later on — this complaint that’s led to a lawsuit now.”
Anasta, who was part of the Bulldogs’ most recent premiership in 2004, said Topine’s case would open the NRL up to further litigation.
“The concern I have is if he wins this court case, I would say 70 per cent of the NRL could make a similar complaint if they wanted to,” he said.
“It is so common. It is what we do as rugby league players. You’ve got to train so you’re prepared for a game of rugby league at the highest level, which is so intense.
“There’s going to be times when you get penalties, there’s going to be times when you’re punished. That comes with the territory with playing our game.
“This concerns me almost more than the concussion … I’m telling you, if he wins this case you could have thousands, or at least hundreds of players doing the same thing. You really could.
“It opens a can of worms. All of us players know exactly what we’re getting into when we play rugby league.
“We know exactly what we get into when we go to training and the levels we train at and we know exactly what the punishment is when we do the wrong thing and we let our teammates down.
“Since 1908, you could ask any player. I find it crazy. To be fair, I don’t know the kid but I find it crazy.
“From what I’ve heard and seen, it just doesn’t make sense to me. It really doesn’t.”
Journalist Paul Kent described the development as “extraordinary” on Wednesday’s episode of the TV show NRL 360.
“One thing that’s got lost here is it’s elite sport,” Kent said.
“It’s not under 14s where some kid’s got picked on by the coach. It’s elite sport. I don’t care what sport it is.
“If you want to reach the top, you have to have a certain mentality, toughness and resilience because if it was easy we’d all be doing it.
“I can’t imagine many footballers would want to play alongside him now given this is his response.”
Fellow journalist James Hooper said the NRL had invited Topine to meet with league bosses and explain his concerns last year.
“What I find strange is he was given the opportunity after all the headlines that erupted last year to come in and speak to the NRL,” Hooper said.
“If he wanted to speak to the people in the Integrity Unit or (NRL CEO) Andrew Abdo, he was offered that chance.
“(He) didn’t take that up, then we see quotes from the Rugby League Players Association today saying, ‘Why hasn’t the NRL launched a full-scale investigation into this?’ Well the door was open.
“We need to point out he was a fringe first grader. Who knows how many games he would have played. My understanding is he was on the outer anyway. I’m not sure the governing body, the NRL, gets involved. This happened on the Bulldogs’ watch.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie added: “This is a landmark case. This is a very big case in rugby league. This could be bigger than concussion.
“I think the NRL has to step in and support the Bulldogs here in defending them against these accusations.”
Anasta replied: “I totally agree. It’s crazy. I can’t get my head around it.
“This is standard procedure at every football club. The NRL need to get involved in this. I don’t know how. They need to support the Bulldogs on this. It’s crazy. It just can’t get to that point.
“The RLPA need to be very careful with this. They represent the players but they could be supporting a player who could potentially be taking the game down.
“They need to think of the game and the hundreds of players that turn up on time, that train their arses off, that are disciplined, that are mentally tough, that know what they’re getting into — they’ve got to look after those ones as well.”
Topine’s legal team says he was a mere “eight to ten minutes late” for the wrestling session, having misread the day’s training schedule. The player actually thought he was arriving 20 minutes early.
In a statement to The Australian, the Bulldogs declined to answer several questions, but noted that they “categorically deny” a “number of allegations”.
“Some of the questioning … relates specifically to employees or their contracts, and as with all employee matters, these are strictly confidential in nature,” the club said.
“We also take player welfare very seriously and place the best interests and welfare of our players and staff as our number one priority.
“As we do take mental health concerns very seriously and, given the appropriate sensitivities that should be applied in matters concerning mental health, the club will not be making any comment at this time on any of the individuals at the centre of the allegations.”