Warrior Josh Curran faces two game ban and $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to assault

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Warriors star Josh Curran will miss Saturday’s round 19 clash against the Parramatta Eels after being handed down a breach notice following an NRL Integrity Unit investigation.

The NRL has proposed a two-match ban and a A$10,000 (NZ$10, 847) fine after Curran pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at the Port Macquarie Local Court last week.

On a busy day at NRL headquarters, Kiwis half Dylan Brown was also handed a breach notice proposing a seven-match suspension and A$40,000 (NZ$43,303) fine – with half of the financial penalty suspended – after being found guilty of sexually touching a woman without consent.

Curran was a mysterious scratching from the Warriors’ side that was humbled 28-6 by the Rabbitohs in Auckland on Friday night after attending the hearing at Port Macquarie earlier in the week.

Curran avoided a conviction despite being placed on a 12-month good behaviour conditional release order.

He was charged following an incident where he assaulted a then 16-year-old in the Level Up nightclub in Port Macquarie early the morning after last year’s grand final night. The incident happened after Curran noticed the teen had allegedly been photographing and filming him without his consent.

Josh Curran is set to be handed a two-match suspension and a $10, 847 fine.

Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Josh Curran is set to be handed a two-match suspension and a $10, 847 fine.

The Warriors back row forward was not stood down by the NRL for the loss to the Rabbitohs but in his breach notice, the governing body has suggested it should count as the first match of his two game suspension after he was stood down by the club.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster was coy on Curran’s absence post the loss to the Rabbitohs saying he missed the match due to “tightness” after “a really big week”.

“You just never know with these things, we’ve got to tread real careful there,” he said when asked if Curran would be available for the Eels match.

As it did in Friday night’s loss to South Sydney, Curran’s absence against the Eels will compound the loss of Marata Niukore who not return until round 21 against the Raiders due to a three-match high tackle suspension.

Curran will return for the round 20 clash at Mt Smart against the Sharks.

The 24-year-old will also be directed to engage in and complete education and training as advised by the NRL following the incident.

Parramatta’s Brown received an 18-month community corrections order after pleading guilty to two counts of unwanted sexual touching in court last week, following a booze-fuelled incident at the Golden Sheaf Hotel in Double Bay on June 3.

Brown was stood down, subject to the no-fault stand-down policy after NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo used his discretionary power to apply the policy.

“The NRL does not tolerate unlawful conduct of any nature let alone offences against women,” Abdo said.

Eels star Dylan Brown has been handed a seven-game ban from the NRL.

Matt King/Getty Images

Eels star Dylan Brown has been handed a seven-game ban from the NRL.

The NRL proposes the three NRL games already missed by Brown will count towards his suspension, making him eligible to return at round 23 on August 25.

Brown has been directed by the NRL to complete education and training programmes.

“The education and training requirements will be specifically targeted at rehabilitation and prevention,” Abdo said.

“It will also reinforce Dylan’s responsibilities as an NRL player, particularly the responsible consumption of alcohol and the impact his behaviour has had, most importantly on the victim, but also on others, his club and the game as a whole.”

Brown will be forced to pay the suspended half of the fine should he fail to complete the education programmes or breach the NRL Code of Conduct again during the next 12 months.

Curran and Brown have five business days to respond to the breach notice.

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