New interim CEO Andrew Abdo confirmed that breach notices had been issued to the duo, as well as Penrith star Nathan Cleary over a separate breach, with 60 per cent of all fines suspended along with a suspended one-game suspension.

Cleary was hit with a $10,000 fine, as was Knights player Tyrone Roberts-Davis who was on the same camping trip and Mitchell and Addo-Carr, also with 60 per cent suspended. They also had a one-game stand-down suspended.

All will have five days to respond to the breach notices, though many will consider them fortunate to not miss any games if they accept the penalties.

Images uploaded to Addo-Carr's Instagram account showed he, Mitchell and Roberts-Davis riding motor bikes and sitting around campfire with 10 other men with a clear disregard for social distancing measures.

They issued public apologies via social media, labeling the outing a "cultural gathering," and were both slapped with $1000 fines by police for contravening public health orders.

The images created a media storm on Monday before images of Cleary surrounded by a group of women also did the media rounds on Tuesday, with the Panthers halfback also sanctioned.

Both instances were highly embarrassing for the NRL with its proposed May 28 resumption resting largely on assurances from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that players will comply with isolation measures stricter than those imposed on the general public.

The disregard for those orders could jeopardise the planned return, with governments and broadcasters yet to officially sign off on the plan.

"It is important that, in these challenging times, we all have to work together to combat COVID-19 and compliance with public health orders is a critical requirement,'' V'landys said.

"The players have to understand that they are putting the game and the community at risk by their actions. It's certainly hard to accept such behaviour when the game is doing everything it can to persuade the community that its players are responsible and behave appropriately.

"The penalties have been structured so as to give these players one further opportunity to demonstrate that they can be trusted. If they contravene again, then those parts of the penalty that have been suspended will be activated and they may also be subject to further sanction."

While accepting opinions will vary wildly on the sanctions, Abdo said they send a clear message to all players.

"The sanctions proposed today are stronger than fines which can be imposed by authorities because we hold our players to a higher standard and they must set a higher standard for the community,'' Abdo said.

"We are focused on resuming the competition on May 28, something our fans and stakeholders are excited about. Players who do not comply with community and NRL protocols will face sanction."