Troubled Canberra halfback Todd Carney is expected to remain at the club despite allegations he urinated on a member of the public inside a Canberra nightclub.
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The 22-year-old playmaker and teammate Bronx Goodwin were yesterday stood down indefinitely pending a police investigation into incidents at the All Bar Nun nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning. Goodwin is alleged to have assaulted two men outside the club after he and Carney were ejected after claims from a patron that Carney had urinated on him in the men's bathroom.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner refused to elaborate on the details of the police investigation. Nor would he speculate on whether Carney's four-year deal would be torn up after another alcohol-fuelled incident.
Last year, he was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and banned from driving until 2012 after pleading guilty to a litany of driving offences.
But the Herald understands the club is more livid at him than it is prepared to sack him.
There remains greater doubt about whether Goodwin - the son of former Dragons champion "Lord" Ted Goodwin - would be given as much leniency should he be charged by police.
"We are going to stand both Bronx and Todd Carney down," Furner said. "It's just the best thing we should do at the moment until they [the police] sort that out rather than have that hang over their heads while they're playing or picked."
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs expect to know by the end of the week if they will take disciplinary action against their players for a brawl at Cronulla's Sting Bar on Sunday night.
Club insiders were yesterday distancing lock Reni Maitua from any blame but said the club was dismayed halfback Ben Roberts and back-rower Lee Te Maari had been involved.
In February, Te Maari was left unconscious and bleeding in an alleyway after being involved in the same brawl that left Roberts severely concussed and later arrested for resisting arrest, common assault, refusing to comply with a police direction and offensive behaviour.
The Bulldogs have hired a private investigator to look into the latest incident, which police are not investigating.
"We have received a preliminary report from the investigation and we need to ensure the process is completed properly," Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said. "We expect to have the matter resolved by the end of the week."
In other news, Warriors utility Nathan Fien is set to join the exodus to the English Super League after being linked with Huddersfield in a move that could pave the way for out-of-favour Wests Tigers halfback Mathew Head to continue his career across the Tasman.
Fien was again named at five-eighth for the home clash with Melbourne on Sunday - a position that has been earmarked next season for Brisbane's Joel Moon, who makes way in the Broncos side to host Cronulla on Friday night for the return of Justin Hodges from suspension.
Also back this weekend are North Queensland prop Carl Webb (ankle), Newcastle hooker Danny Buderus (knee) and Tigers skipper Brett Hodgson (calf). However, Cowboys centre Ashley Graham and utility Justin Smith are out with shoulder injuries, meaning nine first-graders are unavailable for Friday night's trip to Parramatta.
With five Toyota Cup squad members suspended for their role in a wild brawl last weekend, the Cowboys have called up Mackay Cutters hooker George Gatis from the Queensland Cup.