Interim NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has defended the significant difference in punishments between Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr and Nathan Cleary, saying it had nothing to do with culture or race.

Mitchell and Addo-Carr spent the weekend with 10 other men hunting and camping on the Souths star's property near Taree at the weekend and were subsequently fined $50,000 - of which 60 per cent is suspended - by the NRL.

Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell posted apologies on Instagram, hours after the NRL lashed their decision to go on a camping trip with a group of men as "unacceptable". Credit:Instagram

Cleary and Tyronne Roberts-Davis - who was with Mitchell and Addo-Carr - have been handed partially suspended fines of $10,000.

All four players will be suspended for one match if they are found to breach social distancing protocol again this season.

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