Kiwis and South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker Brandon Smith has appeared in a Queensland court today facing allegations of supplying drugs and disclosing inside information for sports gambling.
Smith appeared at the Southport Magistrates Court, a month after he was questioned by two detectives at Gold Coast Airport ahead of the Rabbitohs’ NRL clash with the Gold Coast Titans.
His lawyer told the Southport Magistrates Court today the matters were contested and asked for a three-week adjournment.
Smith was silent in court and did not enter a plea.
The Sydney Morning Herald claimed the drug charges relate to his time at the Sydney Roosters, with allegations that Smith attempted to buy drugs for his teammates while on a golf trip during a bye round.
It’s reported the 29-year-old was contracted to the Roosters at the time of the incident.
Under bail conditions, Smith is not to contact two associates who were allegedly named in the text exchange, including Roosters star Victor Radley.
The Sydney Morning Herald said that staff on Taskforce Maxima, which is responsible for targeting serious organised criminal gang activity in Queensland, saw Smith’s name when they were examining a drug dealer’s phone.
It is alleged that Smith provided information on the team line-up, including the role of Roosters star Latrell Mitchell, to the dealer, who then used that to place bets.
Smith had previously pleaded guilty to drug offences while living in Queensland, when he was charged with two counts of supplying and possessing drugs after being found with an amount of MDMA in 2014.
No conviction was recorded, the Sydney Morning Herald said.
Smith departed the Sydney Roosters for cross-town rivals the Rabbitohs midway through the 2025 NRL season, despite still recovering from an ACL injury.
He has represented the Kiwis on 13 occasions, with his last appearance being at the Rugby League World Cup in 2022.
In 2021, while playing for the Melbourne Storm, Smith and teammates Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis were all handed a one-match ban and fined more than $50,000 after they were filmed partying with a white substance on a table in the background.
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