Brisbane Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Junior has been fined $30,000 and stood down indefinitely for multiple breaches of the NRL's biosecurity protocols.
The league, which issued Pangai Junior with a breach notice this afternoon, alleged the 24-year-old broke protocols on multiple occasions "over a period of time".
It means the 24-year-old is excluded from the Broncos' bubble and any NRL matchday activities "until he can satisfy the league that he will comply with all biosecurity protocols.
"We will do everything we can to protect our season," acting NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said in a statement.
"Players or officials who show they are unable to comply with the biosecurity protocols will be removed from club bubbles until we are satisfied that they will comply with the protocols.
"We believe in this case, Tevita has not been able to do that.
"This decision protects the health of our playing squads and most importantly the general community."
Pangai Junior had already been stood down by the Broncos on Sunday for 14 days and placed in a "COVID Hold".
The club said he attended the opening of a barber shop on Saturday, in breach of the NRL's protocols.
The Broncos are still to deliver their punishment to Pangai Junior following the NRL's sanctions, with several media reports suggesting the club is considering terminating his contract, despite more than two years remaining on his deal.
Pangai Junior had previously been linked to a move to the Sydney Roosters.
But any aspirations he may have had of joining the back-to-back premiers have been swiftly shot down by Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
"He won't be at the Roosters," Robinson said.
"I don't know what's going on up there but we've worked really hard, as I think you can see, for the type of player that we want and he's not going to fit that mould."
The Broncos are also working with the NRL following reports of an alleged COVID-19 breach by a group of players at a Brisbane hotel.
The players attended a lunch at the hotel in the suburb of Everton Park on August 1.
The Broncos released a statement saying the lunch took place on the same day that players and staff inside the club's COVID-19 bubble "had transitioned back into more-relaxed Project Apollo Queensland restrictions".
"The players were of the understanding that lunch at the hotel was permissible under the more relaxed restrictions which they were under at the time," the statement read.
"The club has been working closely with the NRL and provided a range of information as requested, and is awaiting a determination."
Meanwhile, Brisbane's Caxton Hotel has been fined twice for breaching public health directions, with at least one incident understood to be linked to a birthday celebration held for Broncos assistant coach Allan Langer.
A Queensland Police spokesperson said following an investigation two corporate penalty infringement notices were issued to the venue for two separate incidents.
"Police will allege on July 31 and August 2, the licensed venue failed to comply with COVID-19 public health directions," they said.
"The sum of the corporate penalty infringement notice is $6,672."
