Zac Hetherington, a former Canterbury Bulldogs-contracted forward and current Ipswich Jets player, has been charged over an alleged assault involving Norths Devils player Brandon Finnegan.
The incident reportedly occurred at a Brisbane pub prior to the start of the 2024 Queensland Cup season, where Hetherington is alleged to have punched Finnegan during a night out involving multiple players. The altercation is believed to have been sparked by Finnegan’s treatment of a woman at the venue.
Hetherington, 26, is the brother of Brisbane Broncos player Kobe Hetherington. Although he was contracted to the Bulldogs in 2019 and again in 2022–2023, he never played in the NRL. He has made 29 appearances in the NSW Cup and 36 in the Queensland Cup. He joined Ipswich this season after previously playing for Wynnum Manly.
Despite the charge, Hetherington has continued to play in the QLD Cup. Queensland Rugby League (QRL) boss Ben Ikin confirmed the governing body is aware of the incident and that Hetherington would remain eligible to play until his court appearance.
“Zac is like everybody else — he will have his day in court,” Ikin told News Corp. “Once that happens, we’ll sit down and have another discussion as a governing body.”
Hetherington briefly stepped away from the game following the incident but has returned to the field over the past three weeks.
Ikin defended the QRL’s handling of the matter, stating, “It sits below the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy. Once it’s reported, we consult internally and with the NRL to ensure alignment.”
He added, “Clearly, it’s not ideal, but the standards are the standards and we’ve applied them accordingly. Once Zac has his day in court, we’ll move into the next phase.”
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