Head bowed, Carney was probably too stunned to recognise the irony that two of the sponsors of the club that sacked him for his alcohol-related problems were grog companies.

''I'm pretty shocked and shattered,'' was about all the bewildered 22-year-old could say.

The Raiders' decision to sack Carney yesterday was extraordinary. Carney who joined the club as a teenager is the Green Machine's highest-paid and most gifted player. But the club would no longer cop his off-field indiscretions.

Last month, Carney was accused of urinating on another person in O'Connor's All Bar Nun. On Saturday night, he was ejected from the Workers Club in his home town of Goulburn.

The Raiders withdrew yesterday a previous offer to suspend and rehabilitate Carney, instead opting to terminate his contract immediately. The NRL declared it would de-register Carney until the end of 2009, ensuring he won't play against the Raiders next year.

NRL boss David Gallop welcomed the Raiders' tough stance.

Despite knowing the move would almost certainly scuttle the Raiders' on-field momentum, the board cut Carney loose, saying he had run out of chances after four years of alcohol-related misbehaviour and run-ins with police.

Carney was left shell-shocked yesterday.

''I didn't know it was going to be the outcome today,'' he said. ''Now I've just got to stay on my feet and work out where my future lies.''

Mr Gallop said the Raiders board had shown great strength of character to sack a player in which they had invested so much time, energy and money.

''It sends a very strong message out about what they stand for as a club because obviously he's a quality player,'' he said. ''But he had obviously worn out their patience with his off-field behaviour.

''It sends out a strong message to their own players, but also to players across the entire competition that behaviour like that is unacceptable.''

Carney and his manager, David Riolo, met the Raiders board and management for more than three hours at Canberra Stadium yesterday. The board left before chief executive Don Furner and football manager David Sharpe delivered the news to Carney.

''Todd was granted his request to put his case to the board and the board deliberated for some time and regrettably they chose to terminate his contract,'' Mr Furner said. ''They felt that they had given him enough chances and that it could continue no longer. In his time here he had plenty of chances and unfortunately his behavioral issues continued so the board decided that they'd had enough.''

Carney's sacking was met with a mixture of shock, admiration and outrage by Raiders fans.

Denis Gray, who runs website retiredraider.com, praised the Raiders for their hard-line stance.

''Todd was a great talent who's been here for a long time and will be missed,'' Mr Gray said.

''But this club has a proud history and it's time the Raiders name was printed in the press for their outstanding on-field activities and not off.''