Brisbane Broncos winger Josiah Karapani has found himself in trouble off the field once again after being caught allegedly drink-driving and speeding, prompting the NRL club to stand him down immediately.
The Broncos confirmed on Monday that the 24-year-old will not be considered for Saturday night’s clash with Cronulla after he was stopped by Queensland Police on the Pacific Motorway at MacGregor early on Sunday morning.
According to the club, Karapani was allegedly travelling at 119km/h in a 100km/h zone when he was pulled over at around 7am.
Police also allegedly detected alcohol in his system before taking him to Holland Park Police Station for a breath analysis.
The test allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.037.
While that is below the legal limit for fully licensed drivers, Karapani is a provisional licence holder and is required to have a zero blood alcohol concentration.
Brisbane Broncos winger Josiah Karapani has been stood down after allegedly speeding, drink-driving and committing multiple traffic-related offences
Police allege Karapani was travelling 119km/h in a 100km/h zone before returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.037
The Broncos said Karapani also received infringement notices for failing to display P plates, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle.
He has been issued with a notice to appear in court on July 21 in relation to the alleged drink-driving offence, while the NRL Integrity Unit has also been informed.
The club announced Karapani would not be available for selection this weekend as a result of the incident.
The latest setback comes just months after Karapani was disciplined over another off-field matter.
In March, he was fined $1001 for a public nuisance offence following a verbal altercation with members of the public outside a Fortitude Valley venue in the early hours of the morning.
Although he was not criminally charged over that incident, Broncos coach Michael Maguire dropped him from the side, making it clear the club would take a hard line on player behaviour.
‘We are creating a culture here that we believe will take us to the success of what keeps the Broncos at the highest level,’ Maguire said at the time.
‘I really believe in Josiah, I’ve seen him develop over the past 12 months.
The Broncos confirmed Karapani will miss Saturday night’s clash against Cronulla following the alleged driving offences and court summons
Karapani’s latest setback follows his March public nuisance infringement after an early-morning altercation outside a Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct
‘He has been able to show that he can play at the highest level… but you have to make sure that everything around you is in the right place to do that, week in, week out.’
Following the March incident, Broncos captain Adam Reynolds also backed his teammate to learn from the experience.
‘Josiah is fully aware of the mistake he has made and is fully apologetic towards the group. I am sure he won’t make that mistake again,’ Reynolds said.
Karapani’s latest alleged indiscretion comes at a difficult time for Brisbane, with the Broncos attempting to keep their finals hopes alive after a disappointing run of results.
The winger’s absence means Maguire will again be forced to reshuffle his backline ahead of Saturday night’s meeting with the Sharks as the Broncos look to get their season back on track.
