Māori All Stars and NRL player Jackson Topine has reportedly launched an A$4 million lawsuit against the Canterbury Bulldogs for alleged “unlawful corporal punishment”, which Canterbury’s board is vowing to “vigorously defend”.
Topine, 22, who played for the Māori All Stars in 2021, alleges he was forced to wrestle up to 35 teammates one after the other as punishment for being about eight to 10 minutes late for a training session in July last year.
In court documents, Topine claims he suffered psychiatric injury, humiliation and fear, alleging a Bulldogs coach told players, “Don’t let him up if he’s down, jump on him straight away”.
Topine has not played for the Bulldogs or any other NRL club since and claims he has “suffered ongoing incapacity to play the game”.
The Bulldogs have denied the allegations.