Ben Roberts and Lee Te Maari have been spared the axe from the Bulldogs for their involvement in a fight at Cronulla bar on Sunday night.
The pair has instead been stood down from the Bulldogs' match with St George Illawarra on Monday night and fined $5000 each, $2500 of which is suspended.
2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley has revealed the club's intended punishment was immediate dismissal, but that heavy-handed measure had to be tempered due to a dated club code of conduct policy.
Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg yesterday called a meeting with current coach Steve Folkes and incoming coach Kevin Moore where it was decided the offending pair would have their contracts torn up.
But after looking into the players files, Greenberg discovered that neither had been handed an official warning for any previous conduct offences and therefore could not be dismissed.
Despite both players boasting a history of off-field indiscretions, former CEO Malcolm Noad had never formalised the punishment.
Any further code of conduct breaches will see the pair sacked from the club.
The third player embroiled in the alcohol-fuelled incident along The Kingsway at Cronulla was lock Reni Maitua.
The Bulldogs have determined that his involvement did not warrant a warning or suspension.
