Despite admitting he broke team protocol by being asked to leave a Brisbane hotel, Queensland rugby league coach Mal Meninga is blaming the media for creating yet another off-field controversy.
Hours after declaring he was fed up with rugby league's image being tarnished by alcohol-related off-field behaviour, Meninga was told to leave a Brisbane hotel after he stepped behind a service area asking for a beer in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The side was there celebrating the 30th birthdays of skipper Cameron Smith and fullback Billy Slater.
Meninga has acknowledged the incident at a media conference today but then accused the media of blowing it out of proportion saying it shouldn't be added to the code's long list of off-field scandals.
