England international Victor Radley will only sit out of the first five games of the new NRL season, it has been reported.
Radley was handed a 10-game suspension by Sydney Roosters in September for his involvement in the police case against former Roosters man Brandon Smith. Smith has been charged with drug supply and betting offences and Radley’s name has come up in the case.
He has not been charged with an offence but the Roosters still felt it necessary to hand out a punishment for bringing the club into disrepute.
The suspension was without pay, with Radley set to lose out on around $100,000, while he also made a $30,000 donation to a local cancer charity.
However, the Daily Telegraph have revealed that the Ashes and two pre-season games have been included in the suspension. Radley would have been picked to play against Australia for England this autumn but ultimately chose not to make himself available to take on the Kangaroos and his presence was missed as a result.
Those three Tests counted as the first three games of his ban, while the Roosters’ pre-season games will also contribute. It means that Radley looks set to feature in round six for Trent Robinson’s side, who open up the new NRL season with a clash against New Zealand Warriors.
Sydney Roosters man on Victor Radley’s ban
“Rads was going to be picked for England and he was desperate to play,” Sydney Roosters’ general manager of football Mitch Aubusson told the Daily Telegraph.
“There was no pressure from us. He made the decision to put the club first and withdraw from selection. England means a lot to him.
“Plus, he missed out on getting paid for playing in the Test matches. He made the call to do it for the club. That’s what the Roosters mean to him.”
He added: “No matter what way you look at it, it’s still a harsh penalty and a fair whack.
“It’s cost him a lot.”
