AAP
4:13pm Tue 26th November, 2013


Former rugby league Test backrower Reni Maitua has apologised after being charged with the early morning assault of a taxi driver.

The 31-year-old Maitua was suspended from all duties with his NRL club Canterbury on Tuesday in the wake of the charge which has also been referred to the NRL Integrity Unit.

According to police, Maitua was picked up in inner-city Darlinghurst at around 5am on Monday and asked the driver to take him to Daceyville in Sydney's southeast before allegedly becoming abusive on the journey.

Police allege he then assaulted the taxi driver.

Maitua was taken to Mascot police station, where he was charged with assault and granted conditional bail and he is due to appear in Waverley Local Court on January 7.

Maitua took to Twitter on Tuesday to express remorse and claim that he pushed the driver rather than struck him.

"Deeply apologetic to the gentleman involved, Canterbury, the fans, my family and the game in general," he wrote.

"I have no excuses for my poor behaviour and will accept any punishment handed down to me from the Powers to be.

"I was charged w common assault for pushing the gentleman's arm, but (sic) no means is that acceptable but certainly didn't strike anyone.

"Again I'm truly sorry to everyone I've let down."

Canterbury said in a statement the matter had been referred to the NRL's Integrity Unit and they would comment further on it once those investigations were completed.

Maitua, has only just returned to the Bulldogs, where he won a premiership in 2004, after completing stints with Parramatta and Cronulla.

He served a two-year ban after testing positive to a banned substance in 2009.