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Russell Crowe, no stranger to punch-ups and scuffles, has taken the fall for the alleged assault of a player by the coach of his South Sydney rugby league team, the Rabbitohs.

Rabbitohs coach Jason Taylor allegedly “king hit” a player, who has since departed for another team, at an incident under investigation at a “Mad Monday” function held at the inner-city Forresters Hotel.

Crowe, in an exclusive apology penned for the Sydney Daily Telegraph, says: “I blame myself for not acting on my instinct and calling Jason to remind him of the pressures surrounding the game and the importance of being a sober and sobering influence on the players. I blame myself that no matter the examples we have put in front of Jason and the many functions we have had as a group that no incident has arisen from, the lessons did not hit home with him and he has not adhered to the methods and standards set by example.”

Taylor’s head was thought to be on the chopping block, with a sacking announcement expected today. However, breaking news this morning is reporting Taylor will not be sacked.

“It is my responsibility as one of the custodians of our great club to make sure that the message embedded in our code of conduct is understood by all and to ensure that it is adhered to,” writes Crowe, who had in recent weeks given the team he co-sponsors a major pep talk that warned against off-field incidents.

Crowe was charged in 2005 with second-degree assault for throwing a phone at a concierge in a New York hotel. The case was later settled out of court. He has been involved in other past incidents of violent outbursts.