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Why the Bulldogs have been asked to explain this incident

The NRL has issued a please explain to the Bulldogs over a seemingly innocuous moment in the dressing rooms.

Canterbury have been asked to explain why a staff member was seen using a mobile phone in the team shed during Thursday’s loss to Parramatta.

The Bulldogs staff member was seen holding a mobile phone and showing it to Brett Morris as he rode an exercise bike after being sent to the sin-bin.

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Under NRL integrity rules, only select staff members are allowed to use phones in team dressing rooms on game day.

It’s understood that particular staff member was not authorised to use a phone and she was using it to show the Bulldogs winger a stream of the match while he served his 10 minutes in the bin.

The staffer shows Morris the phone in the sheds. Image: NRL
The staffer shows Morris the phone in the sheds. Image: NRL

The NRL last year instituted a game-day ban on phones being used in sheds to prevent information leaking to betting agencies or bookies.

It has not been suggested the Bulldogs staff member was in contact with anyone.

An NRL spokesman said the governing body would be raising their concerns and asking about the circumstances in which the phone was used.

“The Bulldogs have advised the NRL that the device was used to show the match but we will follow up with the club in due course,” the spokesman said.

All-in-all it was a horror night for the Dogs, who are also facing a fine for wearing the wrong jersey.

The Eels and Bulldogs jerseys clashed on television and it was at times difficult to tell the sides apart.

The Bulldogs, in white and blue hoops, were barely distinguishable from the Eels, in blue and yellow hoops.

The NRL has asked the Bulldogs about the circumstances which led to them wearing the white-and-blue striped kit instead of their mostly white home jersey.