NRL star Luciano Leilua will likely return to the field on Saturday night after domestic violence charges against him were dropped by police at the last minute.
The North Queensland Cowboy had pleaded not guilty to charges of common assault and destroying or damaging property in relation to his partner.
He was due to face a hearing at Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday but police instead withdrew the criminal charges against him as he prepared to defend his case.
Police had alleged the forward assaulted his partner and smashed her phone at a home in Harrington Park on October 3 last year.
However, the prosecution withdrew the charges against Mr Leilua and explained the matter had been resolved.
The court imposed a 12-month apprehended violence order without any admission of guilt from the NRL star.
The order contains standard conditions, which prohibit the 26-year-old from stalking, harassing or intimidating the woman, although it doesn’t restrict him from having contact with her.
Within hours of the charges being dismissed, the NRL confirmed Mr Leilua would be allowed to resume playing in the league immediately.
The Cowboys said he would take the field on Saturday night, with the back-rower joining the squad to face the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.
Leilua replaces Sylvester Namo and will wear No.23 if he’s picked in the final 17 to face his former club.
The forward was sidelined in October last year under the NRL’s “no-fault” stand-down policy.
It prevented him from being selected for Samoa at last year’s Rugby League World Cup as well as playing in the Cowboys’ opening 12 games of the season.
“The NRL has today confirmed that the No-Fault Stand Down Condition will no longer apply to North Queensland Cowboys player Luciano Leilua, effective immediately,” a statement read.
“The No-Fault Stand Down condition has been discontinued following the withdrawal of criminal charges”.
The team confirmed he has continued to train with his teammates while preparing to fight the charges.
The NRL star grinned as he expressed his relief at the dismissal of the charges to media waiting outside the court.
“I’m glad it’s all over now. Looking forward to playing,” he said.
His lawyer Elias Tabchouri said his client was very pleased with the “appropriate” outcome.
“It’s a great result for Mr Leilua and his family. We’re very happy,” he said.
“Ultimately, our position was that this was a case that could not be sustained, and clearly police have seen that and we’ve all agreed to take the course we’ve taken.”
Before the NRL issued its statement, Mr Tabchouri told reporters that his client was looking forward to returning to the field as soon as possible.
“He hasn’t played since October last year, so he wants to rebuild his life with his family and rebuild his career,” he said.
“One would hope this brings the stand-down policy to an end and ultimately they’ll resolve the rest between themselves.”
The return of one of their star forwards shapes as a massive boon for the Cowboys who have struggled for consistency this year after a stellar 2022 season.