Get ready for the next chapter in the Book of Feuds.<\/p>\n
We could even call it \u2018Zero Tolerance\u2019, after the Roosters were unwittingly dragged into the drug allegations against Brandon Smith this week.<\/p>\n
Make no mistake, Nick Politis\u2019 line in the sand declaration from earlier this year \u2014 about how he would keep drugs out of his club with a \u2018zero tolerance\u2019 policy \u2014 have been seized upon at South Sydney.<\/p>\n
And you can only imagine how much petrol it will add to the simmering bonfire next week if the Bunnies get the chance to knock the Roosters out of finals contention in the last round of the regular season.<\/p>\n
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n Roosters release statement on Smith saga | 02:05<\/p>\n That could happen if the Roosters fail to put to bed their recent hoodoo against Melbourne when they take on the understrength Storm on Friday night.<\/p>\n Even though Souths are already out of the finals race, there is absolutely no doubt they will be treating their last match as their \u2018grand final\u2019.<\/p>\n And coming off this round\u2019s bye, they\u2019re expecting to have pretty much all hands back on deck for the traditional grudge match \u2014 including skipper Cam Murray, who hasn\u2019t played all season.<\/p>\n Also take it as fact that events surrounding Smith\u2019s police investigation \u2014 and allegations he reached out to a drug dealer to supply Victor Radley with an illicit substance \u2014 have added to the tensions between the clubs.<\/p>\n There is no suggestion Radley has done anything wrong despite being named in the police report, while Radley is reportedly not of interest to Queensland police.<\/p>\n Yet that hasn\u2019t stopped some around the game this week (and not just at Souths) zoning in on those comments from Politis\u2019 earlier this year.<\/p>\n \u201cMy view is if somebody\u2019s caught doing cocaine or leaning over snorting something, we\u2019re going to get rid of them,\u201d Politis told The Sunday Telegraph in January.<\/p>\n \u201cOur stance is zero tolerance. We are very strong on it. Trent [Robinson] is very strong on it.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE NRL<\/p>\n RUN HOME: Resting chaos not over as top four decided; who gets last finals spot<\/a><\/p>\n EXPANSION: Major blow for PNG franchise as CEO steps down to join NRL powerhouse<\/a><\/p>\n There is no question some viewed Politis\u2019 hard-lined stance as a slap in the face at how other clubs had handled previous drug related incidents.<\/p>\n Souths of course had their own highly publicised drama late last season when Latrell Mitchell was snapped standing over a white substance at a hotel while doing a coaching clinic in Dubbo.<\/p>\n While the NRL hit Mitchell with a one-game ban and a $20,000, the Rabbitohs came in over the top with a further $100,000 fine, although the punishment was still viewed by many as being too lenient given the fact $80,000 of the fine was \u2018suspended\u2019.<\/p>\n I attempted to call Politis during the week to get his thoughts, but he didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n But we just can\u2019t ignore there is now tremendous interest to see how the Roosters tackle this very sensitive matter, although I reiterate Radley has reportedly done nothing wrong.<\/p>\n And nor have the six teammates who were with Radley up on the Sunshine Coast for a golfing trip back in June.<\/p>\n But you\u2019d still imagine there needs to be some very honest conversations behind closed doors to make certain the Roosters\u2019 reputation is not brought into question.<\/p>\n FIRST UP, THE STORM<\/p>\n The more immediate concern for Trent Robinson no doubt would be what Roosters team will turn up to play the Storm this Friday night.<\/p>\n Will it be the one that belted the Bulldogs 32-12 two rounds back<\/a>, or the team embarrassed 30-10 by the lowly placed Eels last week<\/a>?<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying inconsistency has been the rollercoaster the Roosters have been riding all season.<\/p>\n World beaters one week, feather dusters the next.<\/p>\n In fact, if you go back to their early losses to the Titans (30-12 in round 4) and the Rabbitohs (20-14 in round 5), only a narrow win over the Knights (12-8 in round 15) prevented the Roosters from losing to all the bottom four teams on the ladder this year.<\/p>\n Schofield discusses famous 1990 Ashes | 03:35<\/p>\n The irony is if they had won those games they would be challenging for a top four spot right now, not fighting to stay in the eight up against the competition favourites.<\/p>\n Yet even without Sam Walker, there can be no excuses this week given the Storm will be without a stack of stars including Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes, Xavier Coates and Eliesa Katoa.<\/p>\n Although we must factor in the Storm have an unbelievable record over the Roosters in recent years, having won all seven games since round 24, 2022, which was also the Roosters\u2019 only win in their past 13 clashes.<\/p>\n CLEARY SHOULD BE APPLAUDED, NOT BAGGED FOR RESTING PLAYERS<\/p>\n Ivan Cleary has just produced one of the shrewdest coaching calls our game has ever seen – and still some people want to bag him for it.<\/p>\n Seriously, given the Panthers\u2019 predicament, Cleary should be praised for trying to do all he can to keep the four-time reigning champs on course in the race for this year\u2019s title.<\/p>\n