NRL players Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies in Las Vegas hotel altercation involving baseball bat
Two NRL players reportedly came to blows over a mix-up with their hotel booking in the first dust-up of the the NRL’s second trip to Las Vegas.
Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies have been disciplined by the Raiders over the incident which also involved an inflatable baseball bat.
It’s believed the duo had enjoyed a night out, when a hotel mix up left one of them without a room at the NRL’s preferred hotel of Resorts World in Las Vegas.
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Both Young and Smithies were removed from the hotel, before later being allowed to return when club officials were informed.
Police did not become involved, and while there were initial concerns about a possible weapon, it was later confirmed to be an inflatable baseball bat.
“I have spoken to the players who are very embarrassed,” Canberra coach Ricky Stuart told The Daily Telegraph.
“The behaviour was unacceptable. The club will deal with this strongly.”
The Raiders have since ordered the duo to front the media on Monday morning (Tuesday AEDT), where they will be quizzed about the incident.
Neither of the duo are expected to be sent home, with both set to be named to face the Warriors in the NRL season opener at Allegiant Stadium this weekend.
A computer glitch in the hotels booking system had some guests waiting several hours to check-in.
The clash is the first off-field behavioural problem to beset the NRL in Las Vegas, after a largely incident free first visit to the city last year.
On that trip, the main issue was a verbal altercation between the Sydney Roosters’ Spencer Leniu and Brisbane players in a hotel corridor, following Leniu’s racial slur against Bronco Ezra Mam.
That incident did not become physical, and hotel security were not called.
Otherwise, Manly, South Sydney, the Roosters and Broncos left the USA without any off-field matters.
Canberra, Penrith and the Warriors are all spending the entire week in Las Vegas this year before the game, and have given their players free rein to enjoy themselves.
With AAP
