Former State of Origin star Chris Walker was “clinging to a pontoon” and claimed to be “going for a swim” when police arrested him on Saturday night, a court has heard.

Christopher Ryan Walker, 46, was later charged with assault, using a carriage service to menace or harass and wilful damage.

Mr Walker, a Brisbane-born athlete, represented Queensland in State of Origin and played for several NRL clubs, including the Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans, and Parramatta Eels before he retired in 2011.

While opposing an application for bail in the Southport Magistrates Court today, police prosecutor Jamie Dow told the court Mr Walker had fled from police when they attended a domestic violence call-out on Saturday.

Family and domestic violence support services:1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732DV Connect Women’s Line: 1800 811 811MensLine: 1300 789 978Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 13 11 14

Mr Dow told the court Mr Walker was later found attempting to hide by “clinging to a pontoon”.

“Police allege he was heavily under the influence of drugs at the time and told them, ‘I’m just going for a swim’,” Mr Dow said.

He said police opposed Mr Walker’s release from custody as he was a risk of reoffending, and of failing to appear at his next court date if granted bail. 

Defence barrister Tom Polley said Mr Walker’s relationship had broken down in the past six months and argued that conditions could be put in place to mitigate both risks, including Mr Walker leaving Southeast Queensland and being admitted to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. 

Mr Polley told the court Mr Walker had a history of alcoholism and had previously been sober for long periods.

“In the past six months, he has struggled and fallen off the wagon. The past two weeks have been particularly difficult,” Mr Polley said. 

“He admits he’s fallen off the wagon, in the past few weeks considerably.” 

Mr Walker told the NRL’s Rugby League Week in 2014 that his relationship with alcohol had caused problems throughout his playing career.

He said his departure from the Sydney Roosters in 2005 was in part due to his drinking habits, as was his arrest in 2004 after a brawl with four rugby league fans in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

That brawl cost Mr Walker his spot in Queensland’s State of Origin team and also saw him slapped with a one-year good behaviour bond. 

“That was definitely a low point in my career, getting locked up in Origin camp,” he told Rugby League Week. 

“I was only 24 and I got blacklisted from playing for Queensland for the rest of my career.” 

Chris Walker wears team top.

Chris Walker played with six NRL sides and played one season with French side Catalan Dragons before retiring in 2011. (Getty Images: Jonathan Wood)

While playing for the Gold Coast Titans in 2007, the club fined Mr Walker 25 per cent of his contract fee after an off-field incident at a Surfers Paradise nightclub.

The club also ordered the then 27-year-old to spend two weeks at a drug and rehabilitation clinic.

“The things I saw in that clinic made me realise I am actually a normal person,” he told Rugby League Week in 2014.

“It also made me realise I had to curb my ways and stay off the drink.”

Mr Walker was granted bail on the condition he leave the Gold Coast and only return to attend court.

He was also required to be admitted to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, submit to drug and alcohol testing, enrol in a mental health plan with a general practitioner, and report weekly to police.

His matter is scheduled to return to Southport Magistrates Court next month.