Melbourne has become the fourth NRL club to sack Arana Taumata in as many years, announcing the league bad boy's departure on Monday.

A talented five-eighth, Taumata was released from the club following a "physical altercation with another male" in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Teammates Will Chambers, Dane Nielsen and Wairangi Koopu were also present at the scene, with the former two heavily sanctioned, according to a club statement.

Taumata, 20, had already been marched by Brisbane in 2006 and the Sydney Roosters in 2007 for discipline breaches and the Bulldogs last year after he allegedly broke another man's jaw in an off-field incident.

He was thought to be settling in well at Melbourne, with coach Craig Bellamy impressed by his pre-season efforts and considering promoting him to a play-making role to allow super-star Greg Inglis to move to the centres.

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