Footage emerges of Victor Radley and Roosters players on golf trip linked to Brandon Smith drug dealing claims

A Sydney Roosters golf trip is now at the centre of the alleged Brandon Smith drug-dealing scandal, which already threatens to derail the final two weeks of the NRL season.

Smith, whose lawyer says he will fight charges of supplying a dangerous drug and providing information to be used for betting, was charged by Queensland Police last week.

It has since emerged that the drug supply charge allegedly relates to Smith — who moved to South Sydney earlier this year —arranging for former Roosters teammate Victor Radley to receive drugs from a dealer in the Sunshine Coast town of Currimundi on June 7.

It’s understood Radley was in Queensland with a group of Roosters stars for a bye-week trip at the time. Roosters halfback Chad Townsend, who has retired from the NRL, posted a series of photos and a video from the group’s golf trip on the Sunshine Coast on June 9.

In one video, Radley is filmed welcoming the group — which included Sydney skipper James Tedesco, Hugo Savala, Sandon Smith, Egan Butcher, and Zach Dockar-Clay — to the “inaugural Sydney Roosters Sunshine Coast Open.”

It is understood the Roosters are taking the involvement of at least one of their players in the Queensland Police’s organised crime probe seriously.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Radley or any other of the named Roosters players on the Round 14 bye weekend trip.

Smith is accused of ordering drugs for friends as well as providing information to a drug dealer on team lists and his return from injury in Round 18. That information was then allegedly used to place bets, police claim.

Souths have so far stood by the 29-year-old New Zealand international and do not intend on standing him down from playing duties.

“Through his solicitor Paul McGirr, the club understands that Brandon was not physically in the jurisdiction of Queensland when this matter was alleged to have occurred,” South Sydney said in an updated statement on Tuesday.

“Therefore, we are instructed that the matter will be contested.”

Smith’s charges do not automatically fall under the NRL’s no-fault stand-down rule; however, CEO Andrew Abdo has the ability to invoke the policy if he wishes.

The Rabbitohs have a bye this week and face arch-rivals — and Smith’s former club — the Roosters in Round 27 in a game that could have big finals permutations.

No decision is expected by the NRL on Tuesday, and there is theoretically no need to make a call on Smith until next week.

It’s believed the NRL only learnt of the charges against Smith as news broke of the matter on Monday.

Smith had been questioned by Queensland Police on arrival at the Gold Coast earlier this month before a game but was released without charge.

The Tricolours have previously trumpeted one of the toughest approaches to drugs in sport, with chairman Nick Politis claiming a zero-tolerance approach earlier this year.

“My view is if somebody’s caught doing cocaine or leaning over snorting something, we’re going to get rid of them,” Politis told News Corp in January.

“Our stance is zero tolerance. We are very strong on it. Trent (Robinson) is very strong on it.”

Smith’s charge regarding disclosing inside information for betting is believed to relate to his comeback from an ACL rupture last month against Manly.

The dummy-half had been named on an extended bench in the Rabbitohs’ No. 22 jersey before starting at hooker as one of several changes in the team list.

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With AAP