It started with NRL star Todd Carney being late, but in the end it was the magistrate who made an untimely decision.

On a bizarre day of legal twists and turns, the Sydney Roosters five-eighth arrived at Waverley Local Court to be sentenced for a drink driving offence 15 minutes late after a mad rush to get him showered and suited up after training.

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge was far from impressed, but it was Ms Milledge who was forced to amend her sentence hours later after discovering an error.

Carney was eventually put on a two-year good behaviour bond, reduced from the earlier penalty of a suspended sentence of six months.

"You can't put a foot wrong - you were destined for that door," Ms Milledge had said, referring to the exit leading to the courthouse cells.

But the magistrate later took the unusual step of amending the sentence after finding there was no jail penalty for the low-range offence.

No conviction was recorded and a 10-month driving ban was also overturned.

Carney had last month pleaded guilty to the offence after he was pulled over for a random breath test in the eastern Sydney suburb of Coogee at about 7am on February 26.

Earlier on Wednesday, Carney's lawyer Stephen Alexander had asked for the matter to be heard at 2pm (AEST) instead of in the morning and Carney headed to Roosters training.

The magistrate refused and Carney appeared around 15 minutes later, Ms Milledge berating Mr Alexander for his "disgraceful" and "unbelievable tardiness".

Roosters boss Steve Noyce publicly apologised on behalf of Carney, also explaining how the late showing had come about.

"It was (Alexander's view) that the magistrate would be accommodating to hear the matter after two o'clock today so we changed training to this morning," Noyce told reporters.

"The magistrate changed her mind ... she's entitled to make that decision.

"Todd was some two kilometres away from us and no one had a mobile phone.

"I sent one of the staff over, we raced over, and he was dirty and grubby so we got him back, he showered, put his suit on and headed straight to the court."

The drama surrounding the serial driving offender unfolded as the NRL was launching another of its community programs, the Dream, Believe, Achieve educational resource.

It also came two days after two Manly players, Anthony Watmough and Terence Seuseu were banned by their club for a week after police caught them urinating in public.

The Sea Eagles were critical of the league's previous handling of the Carney situation in relation to a four-week ban their fullback Brett Stewart had received two years ago.

NRL boss David Gallop defended the case-by-case handling of off-field dramas.

"(Carney) missed a year of football (when he was deregistered for repeated alcohol fuelled incidents in 2009) and he's got some challenges ahead of him which he's trying to address," he said.

"To his credit he's put his hand up and said he does have some issues.

"One of the things that comes out of the Manly situation is that it is best that clubs deal with these things in the first instance, they're the ones that have an appreciation for the player's behaviour generally and how he's conducted himself."

Speaking after the first sentencing decision, Gallop said he remained happy with the Roosters' sanction of a $10,000 fine and a five-point rehabilitation plan for Carney.

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