Dragons player Junior Amone has been stood down from playing in the National Rugby League after he and his father were found guilty of arming themselves with hammers and attacking a tradie.
The 21-year-old five-eighth and his 47-year-old father Talatau Amone were arrested in November last year after two tradesmen were confronted by three men armed with hammers in Warrawong, a suburb of Wollongong.
One of the tradesmen was allegedly pushed off a roof, falling two metres and sustaining injuries to his wrists, arms and hip.
They are due to be sentenced in December for the violent crime.
The father-and-son duo were found guilty on a series of charges at Wollongong Local Court today after a contested hearing in July.
Both faced three offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking or intimidation and destroying or damaging property.
The father was hit with a further charge of entering a building or land to commit an indictable offence.
The pair will remain on bail until they are sentenced on December 6.
After being charged, Junior Amone became subject to the NRL's "no-fault stand down" policy, which suspends players from lining up in games while facing charges that carry maximum terms of 11 or more years in prison.
But when the 21-year-old's case was moved from the district to local court and his maximum sentence was reduced to five years, the NRL cleared him to return for the 2023 season.
The NRL integrity unit has been investigating the Tongan international over the incident but so far no further punishments have been laid.
In a statement, the Dragons acknowledged the court's guilty verdict.
"As a result of this outcome, (Junior) Amone has been stood down from all club activities until further notice," the statement said.
"The club will make no further comment at this time as court proceedings continue."
The verdict will have consequences for a St George-Illawarra Dragons side that narrowly avoided the wooden spoon in 2023 and is looking to rebuild under new coach Shane Flanagan.
Back-up playmaker Jayden Sullivan and utility Moses Mbye have both left ahead of the 2024 season, meaning Flanagan would likely parachute recruit and son Kyle Flanagan into the halves with Amone unavailable.
The NRL is not expected to consider imposing additional punishments on the five-eighth until after he is sentenced.
League officials will not speak formally on the matter until then.
© AAP 2023
