Gold Coast Titans sack Kevin Proctor over NRL half-time vaping video

Gold Coast have made the stunning call to sack former captain Kevin Proctor after he posted to social media a video of himself vaping during his team’s NRL loss to Canterbury.

In a now-deleted Instagram story on his own page, posted during the Titans 36-26 loss on Sunday, Proctor can be seen vaping inside what appears to be a cubicle.

The video was uploaded with the caption “not the half-time vape”, with Proctor inhaling and then shaking his head with the Titans down 26-10 at the time. Proctor was not playing in the match but was part of the matchday squad as 19th man.

Stadium officials also confirmed to AAP that vaping is not permitted in the seating bowl or anywhere around the stadium. Additionally, players cannot have their phones in the dressing rooms for integrity reasons.

Proctor was not at Titans headquarters on Monday but was notified by the club he would be fined close to $15,000 and he would not be welcome back to play or train. “His actions were in breach of both NRL and Stadium regulations,” Gold Coast said in a statement.

At age 33, it is also possible the incident could spell the end of Proctor’s NRL career. A premiership-winner at Melbourne in 2012 and Kiwi Test star, Proctor was a big-name signing for the Titans when he arrived in 2017. He was also named at the club’s co-captain at the time, a role he later held until the end of last year.

However, his stint has not been without drama. He was banned for four matches by the NRL judiciary for biting Shaun Johnson in 2020, although both he and Johnson said the incident was unintentional. Off contract at the end of this year, Proctor had not featured in a Titans game since round nine and was unlikely to be re-signed for next year.

The incident involving a senior player again raises the issue of culture at the NRL club, who have lost their last eight games. They sit above only Wests Tigers on for and against at the bottom of the NRL ladder, with coach Justin Holbrook’s job firmly in the spotlight.

Holbrook conceded again on Sunday that a lack of experience was a key issue, after releasing established halfback Jamal Fogarty at the start of the season. Titans management had declared at the end of last year that they were on the verge of a premiership window, believing two titles were possible before 2030.