St George Illawarra NRL playmaker Junior Amone has been granted bail on a $100,000 surety after being charged over an alleged hammer attack near his Wollongong home.
Amone, 20, was arrested and charged on Thursday with reckless grievous bodily harm in company, destroying or damaging property and stalking/intimidating with intent to cause fear, following an incident in the suburb of Warrawong on November 15.
After he was refused bail when his case first went before Wollongong Local Court, on Friday magistrate Michael Ong granted his release from custody with a raft of conditions.
Among them he must report to police three days a week, not go near or contact any prosecution witness, forfeit his passport and stay at a Warrawong address with his mother - not leaving unless accompanied by his mother, sister or NRL player agent Mario Tartak.
Amone cannot leave the home unless he's required to attend court, visit his lawyers, fulfil work commitments for his NRL club, attend medical appointments or if there's a medical emergency.
If he breaches any conditions the person paying the $100,000 surety stands to forfeit it.
NSW Police have alleged that two tradesmen working at a neighbouring property were confronted by three men armed with hammers.
One of the tradesmen was allegedly pushed off a roof, falling two metres and sustaining injuries to his wrists, arms and hip.
Junior Amone's father Talatau Amone, 46, was arrested at the scene and has remained in custody since then. Police have circulated images of a third unidentified man.
The charge of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in company carries a maximum 14-year jail sentence, which is expected to automatically invoke the NRL no-fault stand-down policy.
St George Illawarra said on Thursday it had reported the matter to the NRL's integrity unit.
"Dragons player Talatau Amone has been charged in relation to an alleged incident earlier this year," the club said in a statement.
"The club has notified the NRL integrity unit. As this is a legal matter the club will be making no further comment."
Amone, who was part of Tonga's recent Rugby League World Cup campaign, made his NRL debut in 2021 and recently re-signed with the Dragons until the end of 2024.
