Parramatta Eels forward Peni Terepo has been stood down by the club for allegedly abusing airline staff in an alcohol-fuelled incident.
New Zealand media reports that Terepo was drunk when he boarded a flight and repeatedly ignored staff informing him he could not drink alcohol that wasn't purchased on board.
Terepo also acted inappropriately to a female flight attendant allegedly.
Parramatta has released a statement confirming Terepo has been stood down immediately and won't be available for their Round 1 match against the Penrith Panthers this week.
Read the full statement below.
The Parramatta Eels have been made aware of an alcohol related incident involving Peni Terepo from the weekend in New Zealand.
The Club has stood Peni down immediately, including this week’s Round 1 game against Penrith.
The Club will now work with the relevant authorities in New Zealand, the NRL Integrity Unit and the RLPA to investigate the incident thoroughly.
This process will then guide our next steps.
The Club will make no further comment until the investigation is completed.