Hunt done for Cocaine dealing...Titans Charged
- Thread starter happy_tiger
- Start date
SYDNEY, you are next.
Sydney footballers past and present will be investigated in relation to the cocaine supply scandal that has already seen more than 50 games worth of State of Origin talent potentially implicated.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the cocaine that Karmichael Hunt, six Titans, and two former Origin players are alleged to have supplied originated in Sydney.
It is understood the Crime and Corruption Commission is trying to uncover the entire network of the cocaine cartel and the NRL players and professional sports people embroiled in the scandal have only come on to the radar due to their association with local agents.
The wider investigation is set to cross state borders with the CCC having the power to work in unison with the NSW Crime Commission to ensure the investigation reaches a full conclusion.
The CCC would not comment on the investigation on Monday, stating that the matter remained ongoing with no time line currently set for its finality.
But the charges issued against a few sports people, for matters that are trivial in nature compared to the multi-million dollar busts the CCC typically pursue, has many within the sporting community wondering about the purpose of the very public naming of football stars.
The current charges against Hunt and the Titans players could take up to two years to pass through court and the investigation is expected to run longer.
The network of athletes this syndicate allegedly supplies is vast and during the next 18 months the investigations will create a series of nightmares for the NRL and other sporting bodies.
It will be alleged the QCCC was led to the sports stars through alleged syndicate kingpin and former Roosters player John Touma also known as John Thomas.
The 49-year-old was charged with supply and possession of cocaine at Southport Magistrates Court on February 6.
One of the charges relates to supplying cocaine to former Roosters team mate John Tobin, a veteran of 125 first grade rugby league matches through the 70s and 80s.
Tobin has also been charged.
Former Origin players Jason Smith and Matt Seers, who spent the majority of their career in Sydney, have been charged with trafficking cocaine.
Seers famously stood himself down from the North Sydney Bears in 1998 to combat his addiction to cocaine.
He was drug tested on several occasions during his admitted period as a drug abuser but never tested positive.
Seers had an inconsistent career for North Sydney but his links to New South Wales threaten to expose Sydney-based footballers.
Smith also spent the majority of his career in Sydney, playing for Canterbury and Parramatta.
Seers will front Southport Magistrates Court on April 15 while Smith will face court in Toowoomba again on May 6.
Seers is the cousin of ex-NRL player Craig Field, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of the manslaughter of NSW north-coast farmer Kelvin Kane last December.
Field was also suspended by the NRL for six months in 2001 after testing positive for illicit drugs.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/drugs-crisis-set-to-spread-to-sydney-with-a-number-of-past-and-present-players-set-to-be-caught-in-the-net/story-fn2mcuj6-1227236134196?sf7602350=1
Sydney footballers past and present will be investigated in relation to the cocaine supply scandal that has already seen more than 50 games worth of State of Origin talent potentially implicated.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the cocaine that Karmichael Hunt, six Titans, and two former Origin players are alleged to have supplied originated in Sydney.
It is understood the Crime and Corruption Commission is trying to uncover the entire network of the cocaine cartel and the NRL players and professional sports people embroiled in the scandal have only come on to the radar due to their association with local agents.
The wider investigation is set to cross state borders with the CCC having the power to work in unison with the NSW Crime Commission to ensure the investigation reaches a full conclusion.
The CCC would not comment on the investigation on Monday, stating that the matter remained ongoing with no time line currently set for its finality.
But the charges issued against a few sports people, for matters that are trivial in nature compared to the multi-million dollar busts the CCC typically pursue, has many within the sporting community wondering about the purpose of the very public naming of football stars.
The current charges against Hunt and the Titans players could take up to two years to pass through court and the investigation is expected to run longer.
The network of athletes this syndicate allegedly supplies is vast and during the next 18 months the investigations will create a series of nightmares for the NRL and other sporting bodies.
It will be alleged the QCCC was led to the sports stars through alleged syndicate kingpin and former Roosters player John Touma also known as John Thomas.
The 49-year-old was charged with supply and possession of cocaine at Southport Magistrates Court on February 6.
One of the charges relates to supplying cocaine to former Roosters team mate John Tobin, a veteran of 125 first grade rugby league matches through the 70s and 80s.
Tobin has also been charged.
Former Origin players Jason Smith and Matt Seers, who spent the majority of their career in Sydney, have been charged with trafficking cocaine.
Seers famously stood himself down from the North Sydney Bears in 1998 to combat his addiction to cocaine.
He was drug tested on several occasions during his admitted period as a drug abuser but never tested positive.
Seers had an inconsistent career for North Sydney but his links to New South Wales threaten to expose Sydney-based footballers.
Smith also spent the majority of his career in Sydney, playing for Canterbury and Parramatta.
Seers will front Southport Magistrates Court on April 15 while Smith will face court in Toowoomba again on May 6.
Seers is the cousin of ex-NRL player Craig Field, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of the manslaughter of NSW north-coast farmer Kelvin Kane last December.
Field was also suspended by the NRL for six months in 2001 after testing positive for illicit drugs.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/drugs-crisis-set-to-spread-to-sydney-with-a-number-of-past-and-present-players-set-to-be-caught-in-the-net/story-fn2mcuj6-1227236134196?sf7602350=1
NRL look set to take control of GCT
TurnStyle
Well-known member
@Flippedy said:
im exactly the same. okay, i dont actually know the guy, but if there is one player i have just never been able to stand it is Bird. i will be watching an origin barracking for the blues and when i see Bird i just go "ugh…".
anyway, he may end up with a new nickname: Snake JailBird
[](http://s74.photobucket.com/user/jt6572/media/SimpSnake_f_zpsaae8698c.png.html)
foreveratiger
New member
I know a couple of guys that have bought Season Tickets , i'd imagine they would be feeling like a refund?
balmain boy
Well-known member
So what happens if Lockyer is one of the chiefs of this operation. And that Hodges and Parker also were involved?
We could have dozens of players suspended by season starts by the time all players are charged!
We could have dozens of players suspended by season starts by the time all players are charged!
Yeah….our players are different to all other 20/30 something year olds in the country
yeh
they must
they must
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
Since when does this club have a no dick head policy?
Tiger_Watto
New member
This will have wide consequences for the Broncos if people like DL are named considering he is now on there Board… But, the Broncos are the best at covering up shit like this, and now Uncle Wayne is back, the old protection ring will be out in force!
TurnStyle
Well-known member
@hobbo2803 said:
Personally in situations like this I think sanctimony should be avoided (not accusing anyone of this, I'm talking about myself) as I think it would be a little naive to pigeonhole such an issue to a particular club/s.
I would really hope no tigers player did any drugs but as said they are no different to other 20-30 year olds.
This is a societal issue and the key demographic for this is likely people the age of professional sportspeople; the only difference in people making mistakes is the exposure faced. Been said ad nauseam….
Tigerdave
Well-known member
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/canterbury-bulldogs/brisbane-broncos-may-be-next-target-in-drugs-investigation-20150224-13nj9w.html
Brisbane Broncos may be next target in drugs investigation
>
Date
February 25, 2015 - 6:39AM
>
Chief Rugby League Reporter
>
View more articles from Adrian Proszenko
>
As the Gold Coast Titans struggle with a drugs scandal, the National Rugby League has stepped in to take control of the Titans, which has gone into voluntary administration.
>
The NRL is bracing itself for the Brisbane Broncos to become the next club to be embroiled in the cocaine scandal amid fears Broncos identities will be handed notices to appear before the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission.
>
The development comes as the QCCC foreshadowed the prospect of further arrests of "current or former sportspeople" by the end of this week or next. Fairfax Media understands the NRL is preparing for the worst, despite having no firm evidence on which to base its concerns, and the clear links between the club and former Bronco Karmichael Hunt, coupled with Brisbane's close proximity to the Gold Coast, is putting head office on high alert.
>
Prepared for the worst: The NRL are bracing for the Brisbane Broncos to be dragged into the cocaine drug scandal that has engulfed the Titans.
>
Hunt made his name during a six-year stint at Red Hill, graduating to Queensland and Australian honours in his 125-game NRL career. The code-hopper was keen to return to rugby league this year but the money available could not compare with the offer to join the Queensland Reds. But the 28-year-old still has close links with the league fraternity, particularly with Queensland-based NRL players.
>
The scandal may also extend to the AFL, given Hunt was contracted to the Gold Coast Suns for part of the QCCC's investigations, which ran from June to December of last year. Hunt also has close ties with the Brisbane Lions squad, raising the possibility of both AFL franchises being caught up in the scandal.
>
The evidence against those Titans who have been charged has been described as flimsy, but that information is coming from naturally prejudiced sources, namely the players' legal representatives. Nevertheless, the QCCC has chosen to make its revelations public, leading some to assume it has more evidence than has been made available ahead of the first court hearing on March 5.
>
There is every likelihood more players will be named should those already charged not fully co-operate with the QCCC. Like the Australian Crime Commission, the QCCC can compel witnesses to give truthful answers and jail is a consequence for those failing to do so. Under those conditions, interviews are likely to produce more names. It is understood the players will be grilled about one very prominent NRL player manager.
>
Fairfax Media on Tuesday revealed that part of the QCCC's investigations focused on the activities of former Queensland and Australian star Jason Smith during the 1994 Kangaroos reunion late last year. Officials attending the three-day celebration were reportedly dismayed by the disappearance of Smith and another high-profile Kangaroo for an entire day.
>
Even before the drugs revelations, there were concerns about the pair's activities throughout the 20-year reunion festivities. Smith and another Origin representative, Matt Seers, were charged with supplying cocaine earlier this year.
>
In a veiled swipe at the QCCC, Titans coach Neil Henry hit out at leaks that have resulted in the media seeming to have more information than the club or even the players charged. In a statement, the QCCC denied disseminating information to the press and said legislative restraints prevented it from fully briefing the affected clubs.
>
"The CCC's public statements have indicated this investigation is focused on a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating in South-East Queensland," the statement said. "At no stage has the CCC alleged any individuals charged in the last week have been trafficking cocaine or that there is a syndicate operating primarily in sporting organisations … The CCC will not allege any of the individuals charged in the last week used illegal substances in a performance enhancing capacity."
>
A weary Broncos contingent flew into Brisbane airport at midnight on Tuesday after travelling a day-and-a-half from the World Club Series in England. The Broncos beat Wigan in extra time then immediately boarded a bus for the four-hour journey to Heathrow. After a three-hour wait, they flew seven hours to Abu Dhabi before a 14-hour haul to Sydney, where they were delayed an extra hour before leaving for Brisbane.
Brisbane Broncos may be next target in drugs investigation
>
Date
February 25, 2015 - 6:39AM
>
Chief Rugby League Reporter
>
View more articles from Adrian Proszenko
>
As the Gold Coast Titans struggle with a drugs scandal, the National Rugby League has stepped in to take control of the Titans, which has gone into voluntary administration.
>
The NRL is bracing itself for the Brisbane Broncos to become the next club to be embroiled in the cocaine scandal amid fears Broncos identities will be handed notices to appear before the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission.
>
The development comes as the QCCC foreshadowed the prospect of further arrests of "current or former sportspeople" by the end of this week or next. Fairfax Media understands the NRL is preparing for the worst, despite having no firm evidence on which to base its concerns, and the clear links between the club and former Bronco Karmichael Hunt, coupled with Brisbane's close proximity to the Gold Coast, is putting head office on high alert.
>
Prepared for the worst: The NRL are bracing for the Brisbane Broncos to be dragged into the cocaine drug scandal that has engulfed the Titans.
>
Hunt made his name during a six-year stint at Red Hill, graduating to Queensland and Australian honours in his 125-game NRL career. The code-hopper was keen to return to rugby league this year but the money available could not compare with the offer to join the Queensland Reds. But the 28-year-old still has close links with the league fraternity, particularly with Queensland-based NRL players.
>
The scandal may also extend to the AFL, given Hunt was contracted to the Gold Coast Suns for part of the QCCC's investigations, which ran from June to December of last year. Hunt also has close ties with the Brisbane Lions squad, raising the possibility of both AFL franchises being caught up in the scandal.
>
The evidence against those Titans who have been charged has been described as flimsy, but that information is coming from naturally prejudiced sources, namely the players' legal representatives. Nevertheless, the QCCC has chosen to make its revelations public, leading some to assume it has more evidence than has been made available ahead of the first court hearing on March 5.
>
There is every likelihood more players will be named should those already charged not fully co-operate with the QCCC. Like the Australian Crime Commission, the QCCC can compel witnesses to give truthful answers and jail is a consequence for those failing to do so. Under those conditions, interviews are likely to produce more names. It is understood the players will be grilled about one very prominent NRL player manager.
>
Fairfax Media on Tuesday revealed that part of the QCCC's investigations focused on the activities of former Queensland and Australian star Jason Smith during the 1994 Kangaroos reunion late last year. Officials attending the three-day celebration were reportedly dismayed by the disappearance of Smith and another high-profile Kangaroo for an entire day.
>
Even before the drugs revelations, there were concerns about the pair's activities throughout the 20-year reunion festivities. Smith and another Origin representative, Matt Seers, were charged with supplying cocaine earlier this year.
>
In a veiled swipe at the QCCC, Titans coach Neil Henry hit out at leaks that have resulted in the media seeming to have more information than the club or even the players charged. In a statement, the QCCC denied disseminating information to the press and said legislative restraints prevented it from fully briefing the affected clubs.
>
"The CCC's public statements have indicated this investigation is focused on a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating in South-East Queensland," the statement said. "At no stage has the CCC alleged any individuals charged in the last week have been trafficking cocaine or that there is a syndicate operating primarily in sporting organisations … The CCC will not allege any of the individuals charged in the last week used illegal substances in a performance enhancing capacity."
>
A weary Broncos contingent flew into Brisbane airport at midnight on Tuesday after travelling a day-and-a-half from the World Club Series in England. The Broncos beat Wigan in extra time then immediately boarded a bus for the four-hour journey to Heathrow. After a three-hour wait, they flew seven hours to Abu Dhabi before a 14-hour haul to Sydney, where they were delayed an extra hour before leaving for Brisbane.
Betting on the Broncos game has been suspended…..interesting times
