A police spokesman said: "A 25-year-old man was arrested in Macquarie Fields on Wednesday morning, charged with obtain benefit by deception. He was granted bail and due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on 18 April."

Simona this month confessed to the charity scam, while also admitting to gambling and drug problems. It is claimed that he would take Tigers jumpers to the club's base at Concord Oval and leave them outside the dressing room for players to sign before placing them for auction on social media.

"I'm so ashamed of what I've done," Simona told News Ltd. "It shows how low you'll go to get money. One jersey turned into five jerseys which turned into like eight, nine jerseys. There are no excuses. All I can do is give them the money when I get back on my feet."

Simona was effectively rubbed out of the game for life, principally for placing 65 bets on the NRL last season including on opposition players. But in handing down the penalty to Simona, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg made it clear that he was also dismayed at a player keeping funds that had been raised in the name of charity.

"All I can tell you is that he was putting forward opportunities to sell jerseys and putting that money to charities, and that money did not go to the charities," Greenberg said at the time.