TWO Parramatta Eels players, one of them a convicted criminal, chose to celebrate Mad Monday by dressing up as prisoners in orange jumpsuits, drawing fire from victims-of-crime groups.

Centre Brad Takairangi posted a photo of himself in a balaclava alongside forward Manu Ma’u, who served three years in a Kiwi jail for a gang-related stabbing, on Instagram with the caption “Experience vs. No Idea …#convicts”.

The club has defended their players, saying the costume were a reference to “gangsta rap” and not “ISIS or criminal gangs”.

The poor costume choice comes at the end of a horror year for the club in which two players were warned by police for consorting with criminals, the club was docked 12 points for rorting the salary cap and its board was sacked.

“I expect it’s just a reference to gangster rap music, the boys are all into that kinds of music. It’s definitely not a reference to ISIS or criminal gangs,” a Parramatta spokesman said.

But Victims of Crime Assistance League CEO Robyn Cotterell-Jones said the players’ end-of-season choice was a poor example to children using them as role models.

“Logic would say you’d be ashamed of your past and wouldn’t dress yourself up to promote yourself in that way,” she said.

“Dressing up in costume is great fun but in this situation it’s not a good example for young people. They should be discouraging the idea that it is a good idea to be a criminal. It’s too easy for young people to be misled.”

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Other Parramatta players chose safer costumes, with star playmaker Corey Norman, who was this year warned by police for consorting with criminals and convicted of drug possession, Bevan French and Tim Mannah, dressing up as characters like Popeye and Where’s Wally.

And they took a pot-shot at the NRL, with one Eels player dressed up as Mel Gibson’s Scottish hero William Wallace from Braveheart and posting a photo of himself with the caption #ucantakeourpointsbutucanttakeourfreedom.

Had they not lost their 12 points, the Eels would have still been in contention for an elimination final against the Broncos in Brisbane. Instead, they yesterday embarked on a Harbour cruise, keen to put arguably the most tumultuous year in rugby league history, with drug and domestic violence charges, a sex tape and their loss of a once-in-a-generation marquee signing of Kieran Foran, behind them.

After The Daily Telegraph report yesterday the NRL would conduct a drug-testing blitz on players for ­illicit drugs after Mad Monday, most clubs’ celebrations were mild.

Manly, Parramatta, South Sydney, Newcastle and the Wests Tigers all knocked back media requests for photos to be taken. The Sea Eagles even banned players from bringing phones to avoid any unwanted photos being posted on social media.

St George Illawarra was the only club happy to help the media, even supplying their own photos and quotes.

Retiring Dragons skipper Ben Creagh said Mad Monday was a chance to spend time together as a team: “The entire playing group would have much rather been preparing for the finals but unfortunately that is not the case.’’