Brandon Smith & Radley latest – 24 hours is a long time in the NRL

In a follow-up to yesterday’s breaking news, Paul Kent and Warren Livingston dissect the fallout from the charges laid against South Sydney’s Brandon Smith. With 24 hours to digest the details, the panel questions the weight of the evidence, the involvement of other star names like Victor Radley, and why South Sydney are standing so firmly behind their hooker.

The 'Skinny' Evidence Against Smith

As more details emerge regarding the two charges against Brandon Smith—unlawfully supplying a dangerous drug and disclosing inside knowledge for betting—Kent expressed significant scepticism regarding the strength of the police case.

"I’m a little bit cautious and wary of the whole extent of this to be honest. He’s been charged with disclosing inside knowledge for betting. It is very simply explained. He told somebody that he was starting in a game when he played Manly. He was named on the extended bench. He told somebody in conversation he was starting the game. To be honest, I knew he was starting in that game days before. That is the information he supplied, which I find very, very skinny."

Kent argued that the drug supply charge may be equally tenuous, suggesting it could be as simple as Smith providing a phone number to an associate rather than physically handling illicit substances.

"The other one was he was asked by somebody if he could help, did he know anybody, and he gave the guy a number essentially, which again is fairly skinny. That’s why I think South Sydney are so strongly backing Brandon Smith that they're not interested in standing him down. They have basically gleaned the facts from his side of the story and they're content with that."

Wayne Bennett's Stance on Integrity

One of the strongest indicators of Smith's potential innocence, according to Kent, is the unwavering support of South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett. As a former police officer with a known zero-tolerance policy on drugs and gambling, Bennett’s decision to play Smith in the season finale carries weight.

"Wayne Bennett has never gambled and has never taken drugs and he’s a former police officer. Souths are not in a position to win anything. They have one game left. For Wayne, who would not sell out his own integrity for a player where there’s really no benefit for him, to stick by him... we need to trust Wayne Bennett who has sat down with Brandon Smith and understands the facts."

The Victor Radley Connection and Police Leaks

The discussion took a turn toward the Sydney Roosters, following reports that Victor Radley was also named in police summons. Kent questioned the motivation behind the "leak" of Radley’s name and suggested a cynical reason for the high-profile nature of the investigation.

"Why did someone from the police release or leak Victor Radley's name? It could be as simple as they got a little bit carried away with the celebrity of it all. It could be something more deliberate and calculated. Perhaps there’s been budget cuts announced and they need funding, so they have now created a high-profile case to go back to the bosses. While that sounds tenuous, unfortunately that’s how some systems operate."

The 'Ducks and Drakes' of Team Lists

The incident has reignited the debate over transparency in the NRL, particularly regarding the late changes to team lists that can heavily influence betting markets. Kent pointed to the NFL’s strict reporting rules as a model the NRL should follow to protect the game's integrity.

"The game has got to be more transparent. In the NFL, if a player is injured, they put them on a list with a predicted timeframe. In rugby league, a player will come back from injury and the club will go, 'Yeah, he’s just a good healer.' They’ve been artificially extending how long he’ll be out to catch a team by surprise. Coaches see a great edge in surprising the opposition, but the game has to catch up to how the rest of the world is policing all this."

The Zero Tolerance Dilemma for the Roosters

While Souths are backing Smith, the Roosters find themselves in a more difficult position due to chairman Nick Politis’s vocal "zero tolerance" stance on illicit drugs. With reportedly seven players involved in the Queensland trip where the investigation originated, the club faces a period of intense soul-searching.

"The Roosters have got themselves in a little bit of a bind because of Politis’s statement of zero tolerance. How do you explain that, assuming of course that what that text message or phone call was about was actually illicit drugs? I’m sure the club would go to all lengths to try and sweep it under the carpet and play it down, but they're in a bind now."

Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjD3Cvaf9pw

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