Former Bulldogs premiership-winning coach Phil Gould has blasted Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor for the sex scandal that has rocked the club on the eve of the season.

The Bulldogs pair have been suspended from playing and training and face serious sanctions after they allegedly brought schoolgirls back to their hotel in Port Macquarie ahead of a pre-season clash against the Raiders.

The club will also start the season without a major sponsor as a $2 million deal with family restaurant chain Rashays fell through due to the scandal.

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Round 19

“What these two boys have done it just defies belief,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

“I can’t believe after everything we’ve been through, that this would even be a thought. In something that’s so important to our game, our player engagement with communities and school programs, hospitals and the charitable things we do – to think that has led to this decision is unthinkable.

“These players have just got to get it through their thick heads. It’s just ridiculous, it really is ridiculous.

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“It’s so stupid. I don’t know what they were thinking. They were about to announce a major sponsor and now they’ve lost that. It’s awful.

“If they think that no one will know and no one will find out, well there’s no secrets in rugby league. It will come out eventually. I think a lot of players will be disappointed in reading the news this week.”

The timing of the scandal could not be worse on the eve of the season opener between the Bulldogs and the Eels.

The NRL was coming off a much improved off-season with far less incidents since the ‘no fault’ stand down policy was introduced.

It appeared the message was starting to get through to players, but this latest incident left Gould flabbergasted.

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“We keep thinking we’re going to get through an off-season without it,” Gould said.

“We get to February and we think we’re through this unscathed. You get through the trial games and you’re hoping someone doesn’t do something silly after a trial game.

Jayden Okunbor has been stood down for his role in the sex scandal. Source: Getty Images

“99.9 per cent of the players are just so good now, they’re just so diligent, they understand it and they get the climate – they understand what the bad media does (for them).

“The clubs are relentless on them. The clubs can’t do any more to educate, and virtually plead with the players. We try as hard as we can to put as much security and education and knowledge in their heads, and not put them in situations where their interactions with public can turn to anything that could be criticised.

Corey Harawira-Naera has been suspended from training and playing. Source: Getty Images

“It’s awful. We went through this last year at the Panthers at the start of last season. It does have an effect. It really does have an effect. What these two boys now have done is going to affect the mentality.

“We saw it with the Dragons last year, we saw it with the Panthers. This sort of stuff can have a terrible effect on the rest of the season.”