Disgraced rugby league star Mitchell Pearce has been banned by the NRL for eight weeks and fined $125,000.
Speculation had varied on what length of a ban the Sydney Roosters star would get after a video emerged of him pretending to have sex with a dog while he was drunk on Australia Day.
His club had hoped for a four to six week ban, while others had asked for a more severe punishment of at least 12 weeks. The final decision was a compromise between the two.
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Disgraced rugby league star Mitchell Pearcehas been banned by the NRL for eight weeks and fined $125,000
Pearce entered rehabilitation last month after he was filmed pretending to have sex with a dog while drunk at a party of Australia Day
On Sunday Pearce spoke out upon his return to Australia after spending a month in rehabilitation centre in Thailand.
Pearce, 26, jetted out of the country last month, and player's parents, Wayne and Terri, met their son when he arrived at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Pearce said the past four weeks have been 'challenging', after he 'humiliated' himself last month.
'I totally humiliated myself and a lot of other people. I'm not hiding from anything. I'm here to cop whatever comes,' Pearce told reporters.
'I also wanted to thank everyone who has given me support. I haven't had a phone or TV for four weeks... I received a lot of text messages today which meant the world to me.
The Sydney Roosters star also said he 'deserves' to be punished, but he holds 'no hard feelings' towards the person who filmed him.
The 26-year-old has been in rehabilitation for alcohol issues since January 29, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Pearce, 26, jetted out of the country last month after a video emerged of the Sydney Roosters captain pretending to have sex with a dog while he was drunk on Australia Day
The NRL star was seen walking from the terminal towards a waiting media pack on Sunday morning
Pearce was met by his parents, Wayne and Terri, when he arrived at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning
Pearce's return comes just days before the new NRL season is set to get underway, however it is expected the embattled playmaker will be suspended for the first six games of the season.
He will also be fined $50,000 for the now-infamous video recorded in a Sydney apartment after a boozy Australia Day cruise.
The video, which was filmed by another person at the party with Pearce, also showed the 26-year-old urinating on himself and trying to kiss a woman.
Pearce's parents, Wayne and Terri, met their controversial son at Sydney Airport about 9am on Sunday
In the infamous Australia Day video, Pearce was also filmed urinating himself and on a couch inside a Sydney apartment
It was reportedly last week by the Sydney Morning Herald that Pearce's club is considering taking legal action against the person who filmed the embarrassing incident.
The Roosters are investigating whether Pearce has legal recourse against the person who recorded the video, which was widely criticised by other rugby league players and personalities.
Pearce's teammates, friends and the Rugby League Players' Association have criticised the person's motives after they sold it to various media outlets.
Pearce was filmed trying to kiss a woman at the party on Australia. The woman rejected his advances and said she was a lesbian
It has been reported Pearce could be suspended for the first six games of the NRL season and cop a $50,000 fine
It had been reported Channel Nine and News Corp Australia paid a combined $60,000 for the video of Pearce (pictured)
It was reported the club was investigating whether it had grounds to sue under breach of confidence, an action that is available to victims of malicious videos and photographs.
If Pearce decides to sue for breach of confidence he will only have the opportunity to regain financial loss.
It had been reported Channel Nine and News Corp Australia paid a combined $60,000 for the video.
Mitchell Pearce of the Roosters is congratulated by James Maloney after scoring a try in June 2014
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