The Cronulla Sharks have smacked six players with heavy fines over a violent incident in December, backing up the NRL's no-tolerance stance on misbehaviour.
Fringe NRL players and reserve graders signed to the Sharks were involved in a scuffle at the Cronulla Sailing Club prior to the Christmas break.
The altercation led to Cronulla's entire squad being banned from the establishment.
MORE: Why Jordan Kahu left the Brisbane Broncos after 10 years
While police did not charge any of those involved, the Sharks imposed strong financial penalties on half a dozen unnamed players.
Cronulla CEO Barry Russell revealed on Wednesday that the players were fined up to a quarter of their contracts.
"Following investigations internally and by local police, a club disciplinary committee handed out penalties ranging from 25 per cent to 10 per cent fines of playing contracts," Russell wrote in a letter to Sharks members.
The offending players will be made to undertake alcohol education courses and contribute community service hours.
Russell declared that any further indiscretions by the players will result in the club wielding the axe without hesitation.
"The players were remorseful but were informed in no uncertain terms that these would be first and last warnings for behavioural issues of this nature and that further breaches would result in contract terminations," he said.
The strong sanctions follow the lead of the Newcastle Knights, who last month implemented a club-wide standard of fines worth 25 per cent of players' contracts.
Knights prop Jacob Saifiti was the first man punished under the system, slapped with a $50,000 fee (of which half was suspended) for his role in a bar fight that left him with a broken leg two months ago.
A reported proposal could see pre-determined fines enforced at all clubs for off-field misdemeanours.
Meanwhile, Russell provided an update on the salary cap investigation currently clouding the Sharks, saying the probe is due to be finished by the end of this month.
"The NRL has indicated the investigation will be completed and a determination announced at the end of February," Russell said.
"The salary cap matter has been a long and drawn out process, which is just as frustrating to me as I’m sure it is to you our members and corporate partners, but it is imperative that we clean up this mess and the integrity and governance of our great club is upheld."
Cronulla are still struggling to attract sponsors – the front and back advertising spots on the team's jerseys remain blank – but there is some good news for the Sutherland Shire side.
Russell announced the Sharks have set a new club record for membership sales for this time of year, already registering 14,000 members for the upcoming season.