The NRL's integrity unit is on standby to investigate claims of an alleged incident between Dane Nielsen and a female patron at a popular Cronulla nightspot.
The woman has made a complaint to Nielsen's club St George Illawarra claiming Nielsen bit her on the leg. At this stage any incident is not under police investigation.
A witness told Fairfax Media that Nielsen and a host of St George Illawarra players ventured to another Cronulla nightspot after the incident where they ran into several Sharks players.
"Straight away you could tell Nielsen shouldn't be let into the club," a witness told Fairfax Media. "He'd had enough to drink but was walking around the club like he owned the joint and was spitting on the dance floor."
While players from St George Illawarra and Cronulla were at the club, it is believed no other players are under NRL investigation. The witness said Nielsen then became involved in a heated exchange with Cronulla's Ben Barba.
"[Nielsen] was being a pest more than anything around Barba," the witness said. "Barba bought a couple of drinks for the players and Nielsen was trying to grab them off him, he has then grabbed them and threw them back over the bar. [Nielsen] was asked to leave. All the Cronulla boys and Saints boys left before they realised Dane was still in the club. He was trying to buy drinks but was denied. They went across the road and what I saw was Nielsen being a pest and he tried to grab Barba. Barba hit the deck and looked to have hurt his knee or shoulder. He was quite angry. The other players [tried to get in between them]. [Barba] pushed everyone off him and walked off."
The NRL is aware of an incident involving Nielsen. "The Dragons are investigating the incident and have advised the integrity unit," an NRL spokesman said. "As in all these cases the clubs conduct the inquires and the integrity unit only becomes involved if the penalty is deemed insufficient."
The Dragons signed the former Queensland centre on a two-year deal from the Warriors this year. He featured in the Dragons' first two games, taking his tally to 111 NRL matches, before missing St George Illawarra's first win of the season against Canberra on Saturday night due to injury.
St George Illawarra confirmed that "Nielsen has not been named in any team this week due to a breach of the club's code of conduct and the NRL Integrity Unit has been informed".
Nielsen made his NRL debut with Cronulla in 2007 before winning a 2012 premiership with the Storm. He joined the Warriors in 2013.
St George Illawarra's Craig Garvey was handed a career lifeline by the club after he was sentenced to 300 hours' community service for assaulting a man at the Hotel Illawarra in February 2014. He was originally stood down and fined by the club before returning. Garvey was stood down again in September following his assault conviction before being reinstated on an "adjusted" contract in December.
