Parramatta are yet to determine whether Corey Norman will play against Newcastle after being charged with possessing drugs but the development has raised fresh doubts about his tenure at the club.

Norman has been ordered to front Downing Centre Local court on July 13 after he was allegedly busted with MDMA – also known as ecstasy – capsules and muscle relaxants at Sydney's The Star casino on Friday night. The incident occurred after Norman, Eels teammate Junior Paulo and Norman's housemate, Penrith hooker James Segeyaro, dined at a Chinese restaurant with former senior bikie Paulie Younan and accused fraudster and money launderer Rafat Alameddine earlier in the evening. Norman is said to have told security the pills didn't belong to him but police laid two charges – possessing a prohibited drug and possessing a prescribed restricted substance – on Wednesday.

Police tracked down Norman on Thursday morning and issued him with a warning for consorting with criminals.

The Eels want to get Norman's version of events before deciding whether to allow him to play against the Knights on Monday night. But it's unclear who will lead the club's investigation as Parramatta are effectively operating without a CEO, chairman or football manager while the "gang of five" senior officials at the club respond to their breach notice for their roles in the salary cap scandal.

The matter is likely to become the remit of Parramatta Leagues Club boss Bevan Paul, with a board meeting on Thursday to ratify a proposal to install him as interim group CEO. But given the infighting in the Eels boardroom, his appointment is anything but assured. "Clearly this is a serious development that will now be factored into the club's ongoing investigation," said Eels director Geoff Gerard.

"The club will continue to work closely with the NRL and relevant authorities throughout this process. In accordance to the values of this football club, we will offer Corey the presumption of innocence and the opportunity to respond to the charges contained in today's notice. Importantly, we will continue to offer Corey all of the support and welfare resources available to everyone in the Eels family."

As revealed by Fairfax Media on Wednesday, the Eels were already reconsidering their contract extension offer to Norman over concerns about his off-field behaviour. The fact charges have now been laid won't help his prospects at the negotiating table with Parramatta or rival clubs.

An NRL spokesperson said the governing body would examine the court papers before determining the next steps, but the general principle is to allow players to have their day in court. However, a player could be stood down immediately should they plead guilty.

If found guilty there would be no ASADA implications for Norman but possession, even in the absence of a positive in-house test, can count as a strike under the code's three-strikes illicit drugs rule. Players on a first strike receive a warning privately as well as counselling, a second strike leads to a 12-week suspension while with a third they can be deregistered.

Police issued Norman, Paulo and Segeyaro with warnings under the Organised Crime Squad under section 93X of the Crimes Act about being associated with underworld figures. NRL CEO Todd Greenberg reminded all players and officials to choose their friends wisely.

"This reflects poorly on the players involved and is a bad look for the game," Greenberg said. "I would expect those who have received warnings to take them very seriously. The penalties for ignoring a warning are severe and we fully support the police in the action they have taken."

Norman is one of the highest profile playmakers on the open market and his management had been seeking a three-year deal worth up to $2.4 million. The Eels are concerned about the prospect of paying huge dollars to both their halves at a time when they appear to be struggling off the field. Eels skipper Kieran Foran is spending time in rehabilitation for personal issues amid reports $75,000 was lost from his TAB account in a two-hour betting frenzy.

The Norman situation is the latest in a series of dramas plaguing Parramatta that includes the provisional docking of 12 competitions points and a $1 million fine for salary cap breaches.

It's unlikely Segeyaro's presence with Norman on Friday night will help his prospects of securing a club next year. The Penrith rake is off contract at the year and the Panthers are likely to extend the tenure of Peter Wallace, who has been a solid contributor at dummy half during their current campaign.