“Alright boys,” said Victor Radley, “welcome to the inaugural Sydney Roosters Sunshine Coast Open.”
Dark clouds might be gathering over the NRL club this week, but the skies were crystal clear in early June when seven players gathered for the ultimate mid-season golf trip at the Twin Waters Golf Club.
The Roosters had the bye that round, which, happily, coincided with the King’s Birthday long weekend. So seven players – Radley, Chad Townsend, Sandon Smith, Hugo Savala, James Tedesco, Zach Dockar-Clay and Egan Butcher – took the opportunity to spend a few days in each other’s company on one of Queensland’s most picturesque courses.
Clearly, it was planned well. Courtesy of Drummond Golf in Stanmore, who Townsend said on an Instagram post had sponsored the weekend, the players were all kitted out in custom polo shirts, embroidered with the words: ‘INAUGURAL SYDNEY ROOSTERS SUNSHINE COAST OPEN, JUNE 5TH-8TH 2025’.
Little did they know that, a matter of weeks later, the trip would be caught up in a Queensland Police investigation triggered by the alleged actions of a player from their most hated rivals.
“One of the great weekends,” commented Dockar-Clay, along with a handshake emoji, under one of Townsend’s posts.
We would know even more about it, but a video documenting the trip was taken down from Townsend’s YouTube channel just as details were beginning to emerge about former Roosters star Brandon Smith’s alleged involvement.
It was on Saturday, June 7 – the penultimate day of the open – that Smith, who moved from the Roosters to the Rabbitohs mid-season, allegedly reached out to a drug dealer to supply his ex-teammate Radley with an illicit substance.
- For more: Elrisala website and for social networking, you can follow us on Facebook
- Source of information and images “brisbanetimes”“
