The other thing is there are financial issues at stake for the club that are not recompensed.
6 weeks forced vacation of the most highly paid player in the team = financial cost approximately = $100,000 just on A. Fifita's salary. There is no salary cap dispensation or the like either.
The Club is then required to dip into Juniors and pay bonuses out of the second tear cap of which if they go over will also be fined. Then the lost dollars if the team loses games they would have won with those players playing etc... (no way to calculate but more $$$$)
All in a situation the Club had no control or management over.
If the NRL is going to take the correct view of innocent until proven guilty in criminal cases the onus of proof and innocent until proven guilty should be the case in other areas too. I don't see the equity of a situation where someone claims not guilty of domestic assault gets the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise in a court of law but someone who pleads not guilty to verbal abuse of a ref is found guilty in the media and court of public outrage and the NRL without due process.
Anything that is proven and happens off the field and out of the responsibility of the footy club should be handled by a fine stipulated by the NRL. It is taken directly from the player's salary and portions of which should then go back to the aggrieved parties, club and junior league depending on circumstances.
We as fans will now have some 10% at least in $ terms of our on-field assets on the side lines at a critical time of the season due to no fault of the club. Worst of all this is has occurred at least 5 times (Carney, Buster, Latu, Bird etc..) in about the last 7-8 years and when similar things have happened at other clubs (Souths, Roosters, Bronco's) and they do nothing the NRL turn a blind eye. Take it out of the hands of the Clubs and have a set penalty for off field indiscretions of say 10% of yearly salary and play on until the point of court sanctioned jail time.