Cronulla Sharks' centre Josh Dugan has been formally charged for an alleged breach of the New South Wales public health order.
Dugan was reportedly stopped by police on Friday night with a friend, driving west through Lithgow. He was then stopped again 40 minutes later by police, again driving in the wrong direction, having ignored police orders to return home.
Dugan allegedly told police hey were moving to the area and were going to feed animals when he was stopped.
The 31-year-old then allegedly told officers he and his friend were in fact going to a friend's house for the weekend.
RELATED: Dugan being investigated over COVID breach
Under current New South Wales government public health restrictions, people in the Sydney area are in lockdown and unable to travel outside of their local government area, or more than five kilometres from home.
It's understood both men have been charged with two counts each of failing to comply with COVID-19 directions after further investigations from the police, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
They are due to face court in Lithgow on October 7.
Dugan will reportedly defend his innocence, claiming to have the correct paperwork to be in the area at the time.
This is the second COVID incident for Dugan this year, although the first didn't breach New South Wales public health orders at the time after he attended a restaurant at Potts Point.
That encounter cost him a $25,000 fine, and a spot in Cronulla's travelling squad heading into the Queensland-based NRL bubble once the competition was moved from Sydney and Melbourne.
