Reflections from practice: supporting elite athletes deal with problematic off-field behavior and consequences across the National Rugby League.

Within the National Rugby League (NRL), the elite competition body across Australia & New Zealand, clubs are mandated to report concerns to the NRL Integrity Unit for possible misconduct, on or off the field. This includes returning a positive illicit drug test leading to players needing to attend counseling that promotes behavioral change; ranging from alcohol and other drugs usage, mental health issues, anger management and family work. This paper strives to understand the purpose of psychological support and interventions as a reflective case study across professional rugby league settings, whilst looking at the role of counseling theories and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]