RUGBY league legend Mal Meninga says the sad tale of Canberra’s disgraced Test centre Joel Monaghan should be a wake-up call to all players in the NRL about their responsibility to uphold the reputation of the game.

Monaghan tearfully quit the Raiders earlier this month when a mobile phone picture of him simulating a sex act with a dog was posted on the internet, and went viral.

While the picture was intended as a practical joke after a boozy Mad Monday, the end result was the death of Monaghan’s career at the Raiders and at the NRL, and the destruction of the reputation of a talented footballer.

Meninga – a Raiders legend who captained the club to premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994 – said Monaghan deserved his fate because of his reckless actions, but felt sympathy for the player who had lost everything in his career because of “one minute of not thinking”.

“You live by the sword, you die by the sword,” Meninga said.

“That is why we talk to players about the importance of being responsible and accountable for your own actions.

“Joel handled the whole sordid incident bravely I thought. He put his hand up and took responsibility for what he did, was very honest about it all and owned up to his mistake.

“He is paying the penalty now.

“Rugby league has been his passion and his mainstay for many years, and now he faces the prospect of being without for one minute of not thinking.

“Hopefully he will pick up a contract and England and be able to set the record on his reputation straight.”

Meninga said Monaghan’s banishment from the NRL should make every player in the game pause and think: “That could have been me.”

“What Joel is going through right now is the hardest lesson you can learn,” he said.

“The great majority of players in rugby league are only young men, and a lot of times, you can’t tell them about these things from your own experiences, it is something they have to learn by themselves.

“Sometimes the best lesson is the hardest lesson.

“And it is only when someone pays a high price like Joel has done on this occasion that some of the other players will wake up and realise that they can’t take the risk of putting themselves in that position anymore.

“It doesn’t seem to sink in until someone is hurt.

“Joel has been hurt badly, so let’s hope there is a positive result out of it that a few players heed the lesson and pull themselves into line before something stupid costs them dearly as well.”

Meninga said he expected Monaghan’s sins would be forgiven by the code and the public in the fullness of time.

“Australians are fairly forgiving as well,” he said.

“I think most people accept that people make mistakes, and they are willing to provide a second chance.

“When he does come back to Australia, regardless of whether he is playing footy or not, I hope that he will be given a fair go.”