Valentine Holmes with a white bag in his mouth.
Storm trio Cameron Munster,Brandon Smith and Chris Lewis were fined a combined $49,000 and banned for one game each for their roles inthe club’s white powder scandal two years ago. In 2019,Eels forward Shaun Lane escaped suspension but wasfined $17,500 for a similar photo that emerged after Mad Monday celebrations.
Australia coach Mal Meninga opted not to select Holmes for the Prime Minister’s XIII team that will take on PNG in Port Moresby on Saturday following the incident.
Whether Holmes serves any further suspension during other season-ending Tests – the Kangaroos are scheduled to play New Zealand and Samoa in a tri-series in October – or at the start of the next NRL season remains unclear.
As isthe case for Jared Waerea-Hargreaves,who was named in a preliminary Kiwis squad despite serving a long suspension,a determination on when he can return to the field may be required from NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew.