St George Illawarra players Tim Lafai and Siliva Havili have been stood down by the NRL club after being charged by police with affray and offensive behaviour.

The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a brawl early on Sunday morning in Wollongong.

The club said on Tuesday the pair had been stood down until further notice, the NRL integrity unit had been advised and counselling was being offered to both players.

“The St George Illawarra Dragons have determined to stand down contracted players, Siliva Havili and Tim Lafai, effective immediately and until further notice, from all club activities, for breaching the club’s code of conduct,” the Dragons said on Tuesday in a statement.

“The club has been advised that both Havili and Lafai have been charged with affray and offensive behaviour by police, following an incident which occurred in Wollongong on Sunday morning.”

The alleged victim Reed Harris told the Seven Network on Monday he was attacked without warning.

“My brother told me I got blindshotted, coward punched,” Harris said.

“All I remember is blood all over me. I have a constant headache and I can’t really move too well. I am still at work but I am struggling.

“If it was a fair fight, one-on-one and this happened, I might just leave it as that.

“But because it was a coward punch (I might take it further). I could have been dead. I could have been in a coma.”

The alleged incident occurred outside Fever Nightclub around 5am, before continuing soon after at a nearby convenience store on Crown Street, after which Lafai, Havili and Dunamis Lui were taken into custody.