Newcastle NRL player charged with assault

Newcastle Knights centre Tautau Moga has been charged with assaulting a taxi driver after the NRL player was refused entry to a pub on Boxing Day.

The 25-year-old was charged on Wednesday with common assault after he allegedly slapped the driver twice on the head on the night of December 26, NSW Police said on Friday.

The Queensland-born player was allegedly refused entry to a hotel on King Street, Newcastle, about 10pm before he and another man got into a taxi.

Moga was arrested after he allegedly slapped the taxi driver twice in the head.

He was fined for failing to quit a licensed premises and released pending further enquiries.

Officers on Wednesday concluded the alleged incident was an offence and issued Moga with a future court attendance notice.

He's due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on March 21 - six days after the Knights' season-opening fixture against Cronulla.

The club in a brief statement on Friday said it was made aware of the incident and alerted the NRL integrity unit "at an appropriate time.

"The club is co-operating with the NSW Police and no further comment will be made."