Auva'a was last November suspended from playing in the NRL until round 23 of this year's competition and ordered to undergo a counselling program that covered issues including violence against women, alcohol abuse and anger management after pleading guilty to assaulting his former partner.

Smith has previously demonstrated that the NRL is prepared to take a tough stance against players convicted of violence or acts of aggression towards women by imposing a nine-month ban on South Sydney centre Kirisome Auva'a and forcing Roosters centre Blake Ferguson to sit out of the game for 12 months.

player or any person who is in that situation," Smith told Fairfax Media. "But my stance is unambiguous on domestic violence, and anything to do with violence against women or violence in general we are unambiguous. There is no place for it in the game. We don't think anybody should suffer domestic violence, and I think we have been unambiguous in the way that we have responded when any player is found guilty of these sort of things. I cannot be clearer that it is something we just won't tolerate and anybody found guilty can expect very harsh treatment."

"We won't comment on any case that is in the criminal justice system, and nor should we because I have got faith in the criminal justice system and I wouldn't want to prejudice any

Ferguson returned to playing just this season after the NRL refused to register a contract with any club for 12 months while he underwent a program of clinical support and counselling after being convicted of indecently assaulting a woman in 2013.

Smith said the negative publicity caused by such incidents was outweighed by the good work NRL players do off the field. "Our players spend 35,000 hours per year in the communities running our dometic violence program, our anti-bullying programs, our violence against women programs so we take it very seriously," he said.

"We have taken a leadership position and we will continue to take a leadership position on what is an issue in society that we abhor and I think any reasonable person would abhor. Any case where there is any form of abuse towards women, violence or otherwise, we have taken a very tough stance. Any player or any official who is found guilty of these sort of offences then the game has been unambiguous and very strong in the last two years and we will continue to be that way but that is not to say in any way that you pre-judge these cases."

But Baird said the public "need to see some stronger leadership" and he phoned Smith to say as much on Sunday afternoon.

"Everyone is obviously allowed a right and an opportunity for this case to be proven but I think if the NRL was going to send a strong message that what they could do was actually say we don't want you to play until this case has been proven," Baird told Channel Nine.