NRL player Jackson Topine alleges he was forced to wrestle 30 to 35 teammates as punishment for being late to Canterbury Bulldogs training last year, causing him psychiatric injury, humiliation and fear, court documents show.
The 22-year-old was released from the club in November and remains out of the NRL. He played his last match for the Bulldogs in July last year, three days before the training session at the centre of the allegations.
According to the statement of claim filed in the New South Wales supreme court, Topine alleges that in response to being “approximately eight to 10 minutes” late, he was singled out for an additional, unscheduled session after the conclusion of the wrestling set out in the players’ training schedule.
Each player was allegedly instructed to wrestle Topine one after the other, with the young forward’s strength, and ability to defend himself, deteriorated with each bout.
Topine claims a Bulldogs coach told the players, “Don’t let him up if he’s down, jump on him straight away,” and, “No, don’t congratulate or help him. He deserved that. He was fucking late.”
The session represented a “deprivation of liberty” and caused Topine’s “ongoing incapacity to play the game”, it is claimed. Topine is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages estimated in the millions of dollars.
The club declined to address the specific allegations in the statement of claim, only that “there are a number of allegations that we categorically deny”.
A Bulldogs spokesperson said the issues relate to employees, which are “strictly confidential in nature”, but the club does “have internal policies and procedures in place for employee conduct and a very sound review process that we stand by”.
“We also take player welfare very seriously and place the best interests and welfare of our players and staff as our number one priority,” they said.
“As we do take mental health concerns very seriously and given the appropriate sensitivities that should be applied in matters concerning mental health, the club will not be making any comment at this time on any of the individuals at the centre of the allegations below.”
According to the statement of claim, Topine did not know he was late, misinterpreting the schedule listing of “Arrive/strapping 8am” then “Wrestle 8.30am”.
He claims he was ready at 8.30am and completed the scheduled wrestling session at 10am, before he was instructed to wrestle others Bulldogs players.
According to the account, some teammates proposed to reduce the intensity of the wrestling bouts, but a Bulldogs coach instructed them not to.
The documents allege the direction from the coach “imposed unlawful corporal punishment” on Topine.
The forward relocated to Australia from New Zealand as a teenager and settled in Perth, before moving to Sydney to attend East Hills Boys high school in Sydney on a scholarship and captained the Australian Schoolboys in 2019.
He debuted for the Bulldogs in the NRL in 2021, when the club finished bottom of the ladder. He went on to play 16 matches under three coaches during a period in which the Bulldogs underwent a roster overhaul.
The matter is listed for a directions hearing on 13 June in the NSW supreme court in Sydney.