‘Not something I’m proud of’: Eels star breaks silence on photo scandal

Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi has spoken for the first time since being sanctioned over photos of him smoking an unknown substance, describing the incident as “not something I’m proud of” and a timely reminder of his responsibilities as a role model.

Iongi copped a fine and a suspended one-match ban for breaching the NRL’s code of conduct after a series of controversial images of him surfaced on social media. The pictures were several years old and were posted without his consent, but the former Panther was still sanctioned for bringing the game into disrepute.

The 22-year-old said he had learned from the setback and vowed there would be no repeat.

“It was disappointing, just letting the club down and my family down, that was the toughest part for me,” Iongi said. “It’s embarrassing, it’s not something I wanted to get out there.

“Obviously when it first came out, it wasn’t something I was too proud of, but I think the club really helped me. The people I have in my corner helped me a lot too, so I found it all right to deal with it.”

The Tongan international said the setback was a reminder of the pitfalls of growing up in the spotlight.

“The example I set for younger people, I think that’s probably the biggest learning I took out of it – that kids and other people do look up to me,” he said.

“It happened a long time ago, and it’s not something I’m proud of. There are obviously standards that you’ve got to have when you’re coming into this sort of level, so I’ve just got to be better for it. I’ve learned from it … I feel like I’ve grown from that and learned a lot about what it means to be a role model.”

Iongi had a charmed introduction into first grade, making his debut for the Panthers before switching to arch rivals Parramatta as the long-term replacement for fullback Clint Gutherson. The 22-year-old was a Dally M rookie of the year nominee after a breakout 2025 season, but this season has been tougher.

Photo incident aside, Iongi missed eight weeks after being the victim of a hip-drop tackle, before returning to an injury-ravaged Eels side that has won just four games.

“There are some challenges to it, but it’s also a positive,” he said. “We’ve got boys coming in, having a go, and showing what it means to play NRL week in, week out.

“We’re a pretty young spine. I think it’s just better for us and as a team to get more experience playing together, and I guess take all our learnings nice and early to be better for us in our future.”

The Eels host Canberra at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night, with both teams missing key personnel due to i