<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An ex-NRL club captain could be thrust into the witness box to detail an allegedly humiliating wrestling punishment at the centre of a </span><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/jackson-topine-news-2024-canterbury-bulldogs-court-case-training-abuse-allegations-20240426-p5javj.html" rel="" target="_blank" title="fellow player's $4 million lawsuit"><span>fellow player's $4 million lawsuit</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jackson Topine alleges he was unlawfully punished and suffered humiliation and mental injury after being ordered to wrestle dozens of teammates after arriving late to a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs training session in 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine's lawyers expect then-captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner and NSW State of Origin representative Tevita Pangai Jr will help support the young player's claim.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hilton-iconic-hotel-to-leave-brisbanes-cbd/49870503-24a2-44ca-9c96-e490dbc77728"><strong><span>Iconic hotel to shut its doors after four decades</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But attempts to have them outline their version of events in sworn statements before an expected trial have so far failed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Once a trial date is set in June, Topine's barrister Shane Prince SC said he could start requesting court orders for the players to give evidence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That might advance matters," NSW Supreme Court Justice David Davies said today.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/exbulldogs-might-be-forced-to-appear-in-4m-lawsuit/f959e216-7664-483e-af41-a813a482e906" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's nothing like being served a subpoena."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine alleges he was forced to wrestle up to 35 teammates in quick succession for being late to a 90-minute wrestling session.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Bulldogs have stood by the punishment, issued by high-performance manager Travis Touma, saying it lasted no more than six minutes and was "of-a-kind of disciplinary responses that is common among NRL clubs".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine is expected to subpoena six former Bulldogs including Faitala-Mariner, overseas-based Pangai Jr and Jayden Okunbor, Manly prop Chris Patalo, Cronulla fullback Khaled Rajab and de-listed Dragons prop Fa'amanu Brown.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the Bulldogs' barrister was scathing of the failure to outline what each nominated player was expected to tell a trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-rules-out-tariff-exemption-australian-steel-and-aluminium/2b339ef2-d341-475d-ad11-f62fb6f08dec"><strong><span>Dutton claims PM 'can't even get a phone call' with Trump amid tariff saga</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Such evidence was normally presented before a civil trial, with a deadline for Topine to file non-expert evidence passing in January.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's not an ambush or a Where's Wally trip when you're conducting proceedings in this court," barrister Arthur Moses SC said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The touchstone is fairness - fairness in conduct of the trial, to the defendant and to the court."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also challenged the suggestion players were not being co-operative.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Davies asked whether Prince would examine the players "blind" in the witness box if they kept quiet before trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine's lawyer suggested that was the only option available.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So far as we know, the evidence they will give will be as set out by Mr Topine in his statement," Prince said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Davies ordered Topine to serve the club with an outline of the players' expected evidence within a week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He must also be assessed by a psychiatrist appointed by the Bulldogs by mid-April.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The matter returns to court on June 10 to fix a date for the hearing, which is expected to run five days.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine played 16 NRL games and one for the Maori All-Stars before the July 2023 incident.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His statement of claim said he had suffered "ongoing incapacity to play" and the club should not have stopped paying his wages in November 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Topine is pursuing up to $4 million in damages based on the average wage of players across an NRL career span.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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