NSW Police say they are continuing to investigate the incident,but no charges have yet been laid.

Dragons fullback Matt Dufty said he had found himself in similar situations in the past.

“I’ve been at breakfast with the missus a few times,and people come up and say what they want and there’s no repercussion for them,” Dufty said. “But if I was to stand up and have a go at him or what not,I’d be all over the front page. So it is hard in that sense.”

Dufty said he was concerned the ruling would now mean players couldn’t defend friends and family if members of the public become abusive.

“When family’s involved or stuff like that,that’s when it gets really hard,” he said. “I don’t know what I do,if they came up to my missus and started bagging her. What would you do?”

Dragons recruit Jack Bird agreed,and said there needed to be a level of understanding when it came to players potentially defending themselves or others in a difficult situation.

“If people want to talk down on us out in the public there’s a line where we have to stand up for ourselves,” he said. “If they deserved it,then why not?”

After the “adjusted” fine was handed down on Saturday,Rugby League Players Association chief Clint Newton described the reduced fine as a “disappointing outcome”. The RLPA are concerned players are now becoming targets for abuse in the public domain.

“We are not supportive of the revised sanctions handed down to Corey Norman by the NRL,” Newton said. “It is a disappointing outcome given the circumstances of the situation Corey was faced with,and the detailed explanation put forward by Corey regarding it.”

Norman has five days following the revised sanction to appeal the ban at the NRL Appeal tribunal.