Peter Beattie calls for code-wide ban on players convicted of violence against women

ARLC chairman Peter Beattie has urged all football codes to give lifetime bans to players convicted of sexual harassment or assault.

"It makes sense if someone is charged and convicted and found guilty of an offence like that. Obviously you can't have one rule for one code and another for another ," Today show sports reporter Tim Gilbert said of the news.

"I think a hard-line stance is what they need to take on those matters - for all codes, not just for the NRL," added Today co-host Deb Knight.

In the wake of five NRL players being charged of such offences during another off-season of shameful rugby league headlines, Beattie promised to uphold a code-wide ban so that those booted out of the game can't get a lifeline with another professional team.

“If players are convicted of an offence against women they should be deregistered,” Beattie told The Australian.

“For deregistration to work, however, all codes of football would have to agree to avoid code-shopping."

The move was supported by Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle, who suggested the idea be brought forward at the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports.

“I think 99.9 per cent of players behave themselves and are a credit to the game and our education programs have worked and will continue to,” Beattie said.

“But the game needs to set a high standard and if players don’t reach that standard, would need to take the appropriate action if someone is convicted.”

Beattie told News Corp on the weekend that the reports like those recent scandals involving high-profile players Dylan Walker, Jack de Belin and off-contract code-hopping star Jarryd Hayne, were "killing the game's reputation" and an "embarrassment" to the NRL.