The senior players of the Brisbane Broncos were instrumental in the decision to remove young winger Josiah Karapani from the team following a recent incident off the field.
The 24-year-old celebrated the Broncos’ victory over the Dolphins on Friday night but found himself in a confrontation with police in Fortitude Valley during the early hours of Saturday.
As a result, he was referred to the NRL’s integrity unit before being left out of the squad for the upcoming round five clash against the Gold Coast Titans.
Club captain Adam Reynolds clarified on Wednesday that this choice was made by the team’s leadership group, who discussed the matter with coach Michael Maguire on Monday.
Josiah Karapani celebrates scoring a try. Getty
“We discussed this thoroughly during our Monday morning meeting,” Reynolds said.
“It’s disappointing; he didn’t meet our team standards. Josiah is genuinely remorseful and understands he made a mistake.”
“It’s unfortunate for him. From a player’s perspective, our team culture must be prioritised, and that was the decision reached.”
“It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s done now… he is fully aware of his errors, and I believe he won’t repeat them in the future.”
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Veteran playmaker Ben Hunt has voiced his support for Karapani, believing that the promising winger will reclaim his position in the team.
“He knows he made an error; we’ve talked about it, and he takes responsibility,” Hunt stated.
“As a club and leadership group, we felt it was best for him not to play this week and serve a form of discipline.”
Josiah Karapani and Ben Hunt of the Broncos celebrating with the premiership trophy. Getty
“I support him; he’s a solid player. He was genuinely apologetic and understands the gravity of his situation.
“He came to training this week with unwavering determination, so I believe he’ll find his way back into the side soon enough.”
Brisbane has bounced back with two consecutive victories after a rough start, having lost their first two matches and also succumbing to Super League team Hull KR in the World Club Challenge earlier in the year.
They are set to travel south to play the Titans on Saturday, aiming for their third straight win.
Kiwi winger Jesse Arthars has been included in the starting line-up to replace Karapani.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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