WESTS Tigers forward Kyle Lovett has been handed a four-game ban and fined $15,000 for pleading guilty to drug possession.

The Tigers announced the punishment on Tuesday, with his Auckland Nines and trial suspension counting as two of the four matches.

Lovett will be available for selection in round three.

“The club has treated this matter very seriously and has ensured that the correct process has been followed when determining these sanctions,” the club said.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this month and was given a six-month good behaviour bond but escaped conviction.

When asked by NSW police in early December if he had drugs in his underwear, Lovett came clean.

“I’ll be honest with you, I do,” Lovett said.

A plastic bag containing 0.39 grams of cocaine was eventually seized from his underwear.

Two-thirds of fine has been suspended, while Lovett has also been ordered to undergo six months of rehabilitation, counselling and community service. The incident happened just a month before reports the club told Lovett he was free to negotiate a switch to a rival NRL club in a bid to ease salary cap pressures.

The latest announcement comes on the same day the Tigers revealed their 21-man squad for round one, with Sauaso Sue and Chris Lawrence in the second-row.

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