The NRL is celebrating it's centenary season this year, and so far the on-field action has been fantastic, with the Top 8 once again going down to the wire.

We had another tough State of Origin campaign, with Queensland taking the spoils over their arch rivals for yet another year, and the rugby league World Cup is just around the corner - which promises to be very exciting.

While the on-field action is great, it's the off-field action from a few individual players that is tarnishing the game - and it's time the NRL bosses crack down to wipe these issues out.

Just this week, Cronulla superstar Greg Bird has got himself into a whole heap of trouble after allegedly smashing a glass into the face of his girlfriend, Katie Milligan. Milligan is still in hospital, and will have to undergo surgery to repair the damage to her face.

This is about as serious as it gets, and the Cronulla Sharks have done the right thing by standing him down - as of immediately.

They have stopped short of tearing up his contract until investigations into the incident are complete, but at this stage the career of Greg Bird looks to be all but over.

It's a real shame, too - he's such a fantastic player, and one who had a long career ahead of him. But this kind of abuse is unacceptable, and he deserves whatever punishment he receives - which may include jail time if found guilty.

Bird will reappear in court on October 8.

It's just yet another major incident the NRL has had to deal with this year. Only a few weeks ago, Todd Carney was sacked by the Canberra Raiders after a string of alcohol related incidents, which included allegedly urinating on a man in a Canberra nightclub.

It's the same old story - players get on the booze, and get themselves into situations that they would normally avoid.

If players can't keep their behaviour in check when drinking, then the answer is simple - clubs should have a complete alcohol ban during the season. It may be tough on those who don't go out and cause problems, but if it puts a stop to players acting like idiots then it's a small price to pay.

Players need to make a choice - do they want to play in the NRL, or do they rate drinking alcohol of higher importance?

It's not a hard one to answer.

This isn't about the players being role models - it's about the players knowing that, like everyone else, they have to play by the rules. And when they don't, they face the same consequences as you or I.

Until the NRL can stamp out these alcohol-induced incidents, the problem isn't going to go away - and it will only be a matter of time before something much worse happens.

It's time to act - either ban the booze, or accept that these issues are here to stay.