Four of the biggest player agents in the NRL, who manage players including Reece Walsh and Dylan Brown, have been slapped with hefty bans for breaching the NRL’s Agents’ Code of Conduct.
Mario Tartak, Matt Desira, Nash Dawson and Chris Orr were confirmed to have breached the rules on Thursday, after the group of agents were issued with show cause notices in June.
But today, in making its final determinations on the breaches, the NRL handed out sanctions and fines to each of the agents with Mr Tartak, Josh Addo-Carr’s agent copping the biggest ban of all.
The NRL has suspended Mr Tartak for 12 months and fined the agent $25,000, having alleged that he had communicated with an underage player without a parent and/or legal guardian being present.
Mr Tartak was also alleged to have entered into a commercial arrangement with two NRL clubs, which was said to be in breach of the NRL’s Accredited Agent Scheme Rules.
Walsh’s agent, Nash Dawson, was suspended for nine months and handed a $15,000 fine.
Two prominent NRL agents have been issued huge fines and massive suspensions following an alleged fight outside a NSW pub last year (Nash Dawson is pictured right, with Broncos fullback Reece Walsh)
The league said in a statement: ‘Under the Accredited Agents’ Code of Conduct, Accredited Agents are required to operate with high personal and professional standards’
Mario Tartak, who manages Josh Addo-Carr, was handed the heftiest ban of 12 months and a $25,000 fine
He was alleged to have breached both of the Accredited Agent Scheme Rules and the Accredited Agents’ Code of Conduct after an alleged ‘physical altercation; with fellow agent Chris Orr.
The NRL alleged that the altercation took place after the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships in 2024.
The league added that Mr Dawson had also been alleged to have co-operated with the NRL’s Integrity unit.
Mr Orr, meanwhile, who manages Brown, was sanctioned in relation to the same allegations as Dawson, however he was only handed a six-month suspension and a $10,000 fine.
And finally, Benji Marshall’s agent, Matt Desira, was slapped with a six-month suspension and a $10,000 fine.
The NRL alleged that Mr Desira was sanctioned because of ‘non-reporting and dishonesty following police charges and court proceedings which were brought against Mr Desira.’
The league said in a statement: ‘Under the Accredited Agents’ Code of Conduct, Accredited Agents are required to operate with high personal and professional standards.’
It was also announced on Thursday that the NRL had issued Melbourne Storm star Shawn Blore with a breach notice.
Mr Blore pleaded guilty to common assault relating to an incident outside of a Sydney restaurant. He was sentenced to a six-month good behaviour bond but avoided conviction.
In a statement published online, the NRL said ‘Mr Blore would be given an extended opportunity to respond to the breach notice given the time of year.’