Parramatta centre Tom Opacic told Eels officials he wanted to play in the NRL match against Penrith on Friday night just hours after his brother died in a motorcycle crash.
Opacic's older brother Jakob, 28, died at the crash site just after 10am on Friday morning, shortly after police believe he left the scene of a heated argument near Numinbah Correctional Centre on his motorcycle.
Detectives are treating the death as suspicious and want to hear from anyone who saw the crash, or witnessed the argument.
It's understood Opacic was given the option of sitting out Friday's clash against the Eels, before he decided he wanted to play and took the field, with his entire team wearing black armbands.
The Parramatta outside back signed a contract extension in recent weeks and remains in the Eels' biosecurity bubble.
