Jackson Topine: Footy star ‘has a secret weapon’ in $4m lawsuit against his club for allegedly forcing 35 of his teammates to assault him until he couldn’t stand it anymore
Teammates of former Bulldogs star Jackson Topine are reportedly ready to back his explosive $4 million lawsuit against the club, alleging he was assaulted by up to 35 of his teammates during brutal punishment inflicted in July last year.
The 22-year-old accuses the team of hitting him with “illegal corporal punishment” while he was “detained” in a Sydney gym and forced to wrestle 30 to 35 of his fellow Bulldogs as punishment for being eight to 10 minutes late. to training.
His lawsuit alleges that disciplinary actions taken at the behest of head coach Travis Touma amounted to “battery” and left him with “psychiatric injuries” and “physical and mental impairments.”
Jackson Topine (pictured right with his girlfriend Holly Leppard) accused the Bulldogs of “assault” and “deprivation of liberty” after he was forced to fight up to 35 of his teammates as punishment for his delay.
Now, some of the Bulldogs players who saw Topine (pictured with Leppard) get punished are reportedly ready to support him in his legal fight.
Now some Bulldogs stars who have seen punishment from wrestling are ready to back Topine by providing witness statements to help his case if the matter is heard in court, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The alleged incident on July 18, 2023 saw the 22-year-old forced to wrestle the club’s entire senior team for 30 seconds at a time, leading one Bulldogs star to tell the publication: ‘This n “It wasn’t wrestling, it was humiliation.” .’
The lawsuit alleges that Touma imposed the penalty on Topine after the players had already completed an intense 90-minute wrestling session.
Touma is accused of refusing to end the wrestling punishment despite Topine showing clear signs of distress and exhaustion, with the court saying: “Every player on the roster of the Bulldogs, who were the plaintiff’s opponents in wrestling clashes, possessed a high level of physical fitness and strength.
The 22-year-old (pictured playing for the Dogs) was allegedly forced to grapple with teammates one after the other for 30 seconds at a time – with other players told not to let go when he showed signs of distress.
Bulldogs coach Travis Touma (pictured) was accused of ordering the punishment
The fight continued even though other team members pointed out that Topine was in pain and Touma said words like “don’t let him get up if he’s down, jump on him right away “, according to the lawsuit.
Touma is also accused of refusing to let other players help the 22-year-old and telling him: “Don’t praise him or help him.” He deserved this. He was really late.
The young star was so physically exhausted afterward that he was unable to stand or walk without assistance, according to the court statement, which also alleges he did not know why he was being punished because he thought arrived 20 minutes early for the session. .
“The board has unanimously agreed that it will vigorously defend the club and its employee Travis Touma against the complaint filed today by a former player,” Canterbury chairman Adam Driussi said on Wednesday.
Shortly after the alleged incident, media reported that an unnamed player was forced to fight with several players as punishment for being late.
Topine (pictured center during a match against the Brisbane Broncos) was a highly regarded young talent but has not played rugby since the alleged incident.
Topine’s lawyer, Abdul Reslan, said the trial would have a significant effect on the NRL and told the publication that “appropriate protections must be afforded to all workplaces, including in sports contact”.
Reports surfaced last year of Bulldogs players’ dissatisfaction with training methods, with former captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner raising them with management before later leaving the club.
At the time, Canterbury general manager Phil Gould supported the tough stance of the coaching staff led by Cameron Ciraldo, without directly referencing the Topine incident given he was not appointed to the role. ‘era.
“We are the worst team in the competition right now and have been for a while,” Gould said on the Six Tackles With Gus podcast last August.
“The coach (Ciraldo) and the staff certainly make no apologies for the intensity with which they train.”
Former representative star (pictured with Leppard) demands $4 million from club
Ciraldo also said last August that sanctions had been handed out during his tenure, with the club desperate to turn things around after their last final appearance in 2016.
“Nothing comes without hard work. We have one long day a week and if you get the last massage, you probably leave at 5:30,” Ciraldo said at the time.
Topine – who captained the New South Wales and Australian schoolboys teams and was considered one of the club’s brightest young talents – has not played rugby since the alleged punishment.
He played in 16 NRL matches for the Dogs from 2021 to 2023, scoring one try, and represented the Maori All Stars in 2021.
The Auckland-born forward first joined the Bulldogs in 2018, while playing on scholarship at East Hills Boys High School in Sydney, and he also played for the Australian schoolboys team in 2019.
