Footy great says extreme punishments are 'standard procedure' at every NRL team as footy star sues Bulldogs for allegedly making 35 of his teammates assault him

Footy great turned commentator Braith Anasta has slammed Bulldogs star Jackson Topine for launching legal proceedings against the NRL club over an alleged punishment he says every team in the competition uses.

Topine, 22, alleges he was unfairly targeted after arriving late to a training session last July at Belmore, where he was forced to endure a wrestling session involving up to 35 teammates where he was 'assaulted.'

The Auckland-born star also believes he was subjected to 'unlawful corporal punishment', humiliation, anxiety, fear and 'deprivation of liberty'.

His lawsuit alleges the disciplinary action allegedly carried out on the orders of head trainer Travis Touma amounted to 'assault and battery' and left him with 'psychiatric injury' and 'physical and mental impairment'.

Topine is said to be seeking $4million in compensation, with the case to be heard in the NSW Supreme Court.

Speaking on NRL 360 on Wednesday night, Anasta was in disbelief at Topine's stance.

'It's crazy. I can't get my head around it, this guy has rocked up to training late, so when you rock up to training late you get tough discipline,' he said.

'You get taught not to let your teammates down because if you rock up late in the game you cost your team. This happens every day with every club and every player.

'You get punished for that, every player knows if you rock up to training late you get punished. On this day the Bulldogs are wrestling, so the punishment was wrestling.

'If they were doing fitness, that's what it would have been, that is the standards that are set.'

Anasta also urged the NRL 'to get involved in this and they need to support the Bulldogs'.

'Because if every player who was put through the same thing as Jackson Topine [then] would sue their respective club, we would have court cases and litigation throughout every club,' he added.

'This is a concern because it shouldn't be allowed and the NRL need to support the Bulldogs.'

Anasta - who is also a prominent player agent - then confirmed he personally reached out to the Rugby League Players Association on the matter, hoping the organisation will side with the Bulldogs.

'The RLPA need to be very careful on this because they could be supporting a player who could be potentially taking the game down,' he said.

'Honestly if they continue to support players in these actions that are basic and happen at every session, then all of a sudden the game could be really in trouble.'

Topine - who captained the NSW and Australian schoolboy sides and was regarded as one of the brighter young talents at Belmore - has not played rugby league since the alleged punishment.

He starred in 16 NRL games for the Bulldogs from 2021-2023, scoring one try, and also represented the Maori All Stars in 2021.