Cronulla rugby league player Tevita Latu has been stood down pending an investigation after claims he punched a teenage girl in the face.

The Daily Telegraph reported the Sharks utility bloodied and broke the nose of 19-year-old Brooke Peninton after an alleged incident at a service station in Cronulla.

Peninton claimed Latu had struck her after he threw chips, dirt and bark at her outside the service station at about 3am on Monday.

"He punched me in the face," Peninton told The Daily Telegraph.

"I fell back and hit my head on the concrete.

"When I put my hand to my face there was blood everywhere."

The incident was reported to have been witnessed by about a dozen onlookers, including a Bulldogs player who came to blows with Latu as he attempted to calm him down.

Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce confirmed he was aware of the matter and had spoken to the teenager involved.

"I've spoken to the lady concerned," Pierce told Sky News.

"Our first priority was to make sure she was looked after and any issues that she's got, that we handle that.

"She's comfortable with where everything is at the moment.

"Now that we've made sure she's okay, we've now got to address the issue of the player concerned."

Pierce wasn't certain whether the incident would end up in the hands of police, but stressed that regardless the NRL club was viewing it as "serious".

"It could be (a police matter). I guess that's up to the girl concerned," he said.

"But irrespective of that, whether it is or not, doesn't change the fact that we see it as serious and could have serious consequences and obviously we've got to take the appropriate action."

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