Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is appalled by leaked sex tapes involving NRL players, calling on the game's athletes to improve their off-field behaviour.
Penrith's Tyrone May was charged earlier in the week with recording and distributing sex videos of two women without their knowledge after footage leaked on social media.
Two other Penrith players are still the subject of a club and integrity unit investigation after allegedly appearing in videos, while sex tapes involving Canterbury's Dylan Napa emerged in January.
Mr Morrison, a Cronulla fan, lamented scandals which have rocked the NRL as it endured a scandal-plagued off-season.
"I just think this is just appalling," Mr Morrison told 2GB on Thursday.
"People have got to lift their act, they've got to lift their games."
Federal Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie said she was stunned by allegations NRL players shared sex tapes without consent.
"I'm quite flabbergasted that in the 21st century people are still thinking this is a cool thing to do," Senator McKenzie told the ABC.
"For supposed leaders in our community to be doing these sort of things, personally I find it really confronting."
The sports minister said Australian women's national teams in soccer, cricket, and netball hadn't been caught in off-field indiscretions like the NRL.
"I haven't seen our elite female athletes behaving this way. It's not acceptable in their culture," she said.
"There might be something the girls can show the boys in this regard."
Senator McKenzie said elite sporting organisations couldn't just "talk the talk" by setting up women's leagues only to be undermined by cultural issues.
"If we're serious as a country about getting more women and girls into sport and participating in those great games, then our elite male athletes need to show women respect," she said.
