Blues players cleared
NSW Rugby League chairman Colin Love says an independent investigation has cleared Blues players of further misconduct claims stemming from the controversial Origin team bonding session.
Love had announced on Monday an investigator would be hired to check claims two players harassed a woman outside the Empire Hotel in Kings Cross early last Wednesday.
Both players denied the allegation and league officials had said video footage from security cameras showed them leaving in a taxi without incident.
Love said the NSWRL had received a written report clearing two NSW players of the claims.
He said the "exhaustive report" prepared by the independent investigator included interviews with journalists, police, security officers, hotel staff, independent witnesses and security footage.
Love said they corroborated statements made by Blues players when interviewed by the NSWRL last week and that the report had produced no evidence to support the claims.
"The clear conclusion from the interviews, the video footage and other evidence is that this alleged incident simply didn't take place," he said.
"The NSWRL board is facing up to a number of issues that need to be addressed from the first Origin camp and a number of players have been disciplined.
"However, it is also important that the air is cleared on all matters and, in this instance, the report shows that the two players who were named last week have clearly been the victims."
Mark Gasnier and Anthony Minichiello were sacked from the NSW side and five players were fined up to $6000 each in the fallout from the team bonding session.
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