The NZ Warriors are fuming after claims that members of the public have been masquerading as players around New South Wales' Central Coast, according to reports.
The Warriors have been based in the Central Coast since mid-May in order to compete in the revamped NRL season, with all their games being played in Australia.
If things hadn't been hard enough already, some people have been pretending to be players from the Warriors squad.
The Daily Telegraph claims the Warriors were informed of the incidents after a player's wife saw her husband's name had been signed on the registry at a pub, even though she "knew for a fact that her husband was not at or had been at the premises'".
There were also reports "Warriors players" had been spotted at a local party last weekend but it was not them, which has infuriated management as "their reputations continue to be brought under the microscope for no valid reasons.
The NRL are believed to be investigating the claims.
Under NRL rules players and staff must stay in their club's bubble, and can only leave in the case of emergency.
The report adds the Warriors have been following the rules and are being "exceptionally well behaved".
The Warriors have some leniency, as they are allowed out into the public, as long as they don't mingle with the public and stick to their team bubble.
Although the Warriors have been well behaved, they do face a fine after club advisor Brett Finch was caught breaking the rules after he appeared on a YouTube podcast with YKTRSports and images of him surfaced showing him kissing someone on the cheek and another with an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
Finch, who played over 250 NRL games between 1999-2013, was brought into the Warriors' bubble by coach Todd Payten earlier this month, but the team had to get a special exemption to let him in.
The NRL has come down hard on people breaking their strict rules, handing out fines and suspensions to anyone caught.
Last week South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett and St George Illawarra Dragons prop Paul Vaughan were fined and ordered to self-isolate for 14 days after dining at restaurants which are against the current guidelines.
Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Junior was this week fined $30,000 and suspended indefinitely for attending a barbershop launch in Brisbane.
Earlier this season, Kiwis captain Benji Marshall was forced to quarantine for two days after he kissed a reporter on the cheek.
Canterbury Bulldogs forward Aiden Tolman was also stood down for two weeks, because a teacher at his child's school tested positive for the virus, while Newcastle Knights star Bradman Best missed a week, after visiting his parents.
The Warriors face the Canterbury Bulldogs in their next NRL match.
Join us at 4pm Sunday for live updates of the NZ Warriros v Canterbury Bulldogs NRL clash
