The Canberra Raiders are poised to dump Trevor Thurling after the 24-year-old forward wrote his new car off in an alleged drink-driving crash at Bondi yesterday. In another incident the National Rugby League can ill afford, Thurling has been charged with drink-driving after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.1, twice the legal limit.The single-vehicle accident happened on Old South Head Road, Bondi, about 1.25am. Two passengers, a man and a woman, were admitted to hospital with head and neck injuries after the accident, which saw the new car leave a carriage way, hit a traffic sign, a stone wall and then stop on the road across two lanes of traffic.Thurling must appear at Waverley Local Court on May 5. The Raiders immediately stood him down from playing or training pending an investigation into the incident. The club's board will meet next week and could tear up Thurling's contract, which runs until the end of the 2010 season.Chief executive Don Furner said he was extremely disappointed with the incident, which happened just three days after Thurling injured an ankle against the North Queensland Cowboys, ruling him out for at least a month. Furner said Thurling's allegedly ''stupid'' actions were particularly disappointing considering the intense scrutiny the NRL had been under because of a string of alcohol-related incidents involving its players this year.
''You'd think they get enough warnings about this sort of thing,'' Furner said.
''I guess the main thing is no one was seriously injured, but the coaching staff and the club are very disappointed. For a start, because he broke the club's policy of not drinking whilst being out injured. ''I just can't believe that he was so stupid.''Manly duo Brett Stewart and Anthony Watmough, Sydney Roosters' Jake Friend, Willie Mason and Nate Myles, the Bulldogs' Jamal Idris, Ben Barba and Lee Te Maari, and Cronulla's Brett Seymour have all been disciplined for alcohol-related incidents this year.Raiders back-rower Joel Thompson will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on June 3 for a court management hearing, following allegations he assaulted his girlfriend, Danielle O'Brien, after a night out in February.
NRL chief executive David Gallop backed the Raiders' decision to stand Thurling down, while Thurling's manager, David Riolo, also said the initial punishment was fair. Thurling was unavailable for comment, but Mr Riolo said his client had made a mistake.''He's a good kid. He's never been in trouble before,'' Riolo said.
''He's certainly paying for it money-wise. I'm just glad he didn't kill himself.
''He's made a silly mistake, but I'm just glad he's okay. He's going to learn a pretty harsh lesson. ''He's a young man, he's made a mistake, he's just lucky he hasn't paid a higher price. He's probably going to lose his licence, get fined, and he'll get a lot of unwanted media attention.''The Raiders sacked halfback Todd Carney last year after a string of off-field incidents, three of which were driving-related convictions.
They also sacked Steve Irwin in 2007 for his involvement in a police car chase with Carney.
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