Ben Barba, the reigning Super League Man of Steel, has been sacked by his new club North Queensland Cowboys over an alleged domestic violence incident in a Townsville casino.
Reports in Australia suggested the player assaulted his partner, Ainslie Currie. Queensland Police are currently investigating the alleged incident.
The 29-year-old only left St Helens at the end of last season and had not yet played a game for his new side.
However, in a short statement, the club said Barba had “committed a significant breach of the terms of his contract”.
“When a player joins the North Queensland Cowboys he agrees to abide by the terms of the contract,” said club chairman Laurence Lancini.
“After an internal investigation, it has been determined that this player has acted in contradiction to both the terms and the spirit of that agreement.
“Accordingly, the club has terminated his contract and has informed the NRL's integrity unit.”
Barba joined St Helens in May 2017, having left Australia the previous year following a positive test for cocaine.
