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Queensland Police will allege South Sydney hooker Brandon Smith provided inside information about his return from injury to friends that led to bets that stood to pay out more than $20,000.
It comes as the Sydney Roosters begin exploring their legal position if they decide to terminate the contract of Victor Radley after the alleged text exchange between Brandon Smith, Victor Radley and the alleged drug dealers under investigation was revealed on Tuesday.
This masthead has also obtained the correspondence that forms the basis of the second Queensland Police charge against the Rabbitohs recruit.
Smith has been accused of providing “inside knowledge to a changed starting team” when he informed a person of interest to the police that he was going to start at hooker against Manly despite being named on an extended bench for his first game with the Rabbitohs on July 6.
This is the exchange, according to the police brief, between Smith and two of his friends, who are brothers. One of the friends, Friend B, is the alleged drug dealer whose number Smith allegedly provided to Victor Radley while away on a golf trip with six teammates on the Sunshine Coast in June.
Group chat between Smith and two friends on July 2
Friend A: You playing this weekend
Smith: Yep
Friend A: First grade?
Smith: Yeah bro. Told me today. Starting too lol
July 5, from 6.35pm
Friend A: Let’s go (Shares a screenshot of a $250 bet placed on Sportsbet for Brandon Smith anytime try scorer - odds $8.50 with potential return $2,125)
Smith: 8.50 that’s fucking crazy
Friend A: Can I get a confirmation you are run on?
Smith: I’m run on. 100 percent
Friend A: (Shares a screenshot of a $200 bet placed on Sportsbet for Brandon Smith first try scorer - odds $91 with potential return $18,200).
Smith: Hahahahahaha
Message from Smith to Friend B on July 5 at 6.37pm
Smith to Friend B: Bro I’m paying $91 for first try scorer
Friend B: Back it?
Smith: I’m starting
Friend B: I’ll back it
Smith: So it’s not a bad bet. Bra ask [Friend A] to send you his bet. 8.5 anytime. And 91. Sports bet. Think it’s getting bobbed haha
Friend B: I just went on lads got 51
Brandon Smith hobbled from the field in his first game for the Rabbitohs against Manly.Credit: Getty Images
As part of the evidence brief, Queensland police claim that “on July 6, the defendant was announced by the NRL as a ‘game day change’ to the team list after returning from injury”.
“Prior to this public announcement, the defendant was listed in an ‘extended bench’ and was listed with unusually high odds for specific bets such as ‘first try scorer’ and ‘anytime try scorer’ as he was not confirmed to be playing.”
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Tuesday, July 1: Brandon Smith is named in the South Sydney 22-man squad in jersey No.22.
Wednesday, July 2: Smith is asked if he is playing by Friend A, informing his friend he would be in the starting side. (No bets or odds are mentioned at this point).
Saturday, July 5 at 10am: Wayne Bennett confirms Smith will play against Manly at his weekly pre-game press conference.
Saturday, July 5 at 12.30pm: South Sydney hold a jersey presentation for Smith’s club debut.
Saturday, July 5 at 4.05pm: The Rabbitohs announce their 19-man active squad 24 hours before kick-off, with Smith named on the bench as confirmed by Bennett said earlier that day.
Saturday, July 5 at 6.35pm: Friend A sends Smith a screenshot of his anytime tryscorer bet and proceeds to back Smith at $91 for first tryscorer after text exchange.
Saturday, July 5 at 6.37pm: Smith engages with Friend B, leading to another alleged bet at $51 for Brandon Smith to score the first try.
Sunday, July 6 at 3.05pm: South Sydney confirm their 18-man starting line-up, interchange bench and reserve player announced one hour before kick off. Smith is named to start.
In the early stages of the game, Smith takes a scoot from dummy-half and goes close to scoring the first try of the match. Manly’s Reuben Garrick scored the game’s first try, in the 17th minute.
Smith suffered an injury in the match and was replaced in the 76th minute without having scored a try.
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Smith has been issued a summons to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, at which point he will be charged on one count of disclosing “inside knowledge” for illegal betting and one count of supplying dangerous drugs. Smith will plead not guilty to the charges.
The police allege Smith supplied his former teammate with a contact for an alleged drug dealer while Radley was on a golf weekend on the Sunshine Coast with six other Roosters players in June.
Smith was in Sydney at the time but is alleged to have supplied Radley with a contact for him to source “a dangerous drug namely cocaine” on June 7 – according to the summons obtained by this masthead.
No criminal charges have been laid against Radley. There is no suggestion Radley actually obtained or took illegal drugs.
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