Rabbitohs knew about Brandon Smith’s gambling problem when they signed him

South Sydney were well aware of Brandon Smith’s gambling problem when they negotiated a deal to sign him from the Roosters in May.

The Rabbitohs have been criticised for taking on Smith and accused of not doing due diligence – but the truth is they did their homework and decided to sign him regardless, knowing that on his day he is an elite talent. Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett clearly sees something in Smith. The Roosters couldn’t wait for him to depart.

Smith has tried for years to get on top of a gambling problem that resulted in him borrowing money from teammates, which caused internal division at the Roosters.

At one point, ex-Roosters star Jared Waerea-Hargreaves told Smith to pay back a teammate who was on the NRL’s minimum wage. The amount of money involved was not a huge sum – a few thousand dollars – but for a player earning $80,000, it is significant.

I asked the Roosters to elaborate on this and Smith’s gambling, but they declined to comment.

It is a sad tale. Smith’s issues led the Roosters to appoint a mentor to try to help him mend his ways. The mentor, Rogan Yates, took him to counselling to help him work on his problems.

The Roosters also tried to encourage Smith to buy a house and use his then $800,000-a-year salary to set himself up for the future. It is unclear if he took their advice.

Smith has asked those close to him, “Why am I like this?” It is clear he is tormented by his gambling problem.

All up, Smith borrowed thousands of dollars from a number of Roosters players. He also borrowed $10,000 from one of the game’s biggest stars, and owed the player that money for years. It was finally paid back to the player – who confirmed to this column during the week that he got the money – at the Roosters’ insistence.

The star, who did not play for the Roosters, was not aware of the Bondi club’s part in making sure Smith cleared his debt. It was only when I told him that he learnt why he had eventually been paid back.

This column has previously approached Smith to discuss his problems, but he has declined to talk. I approached him again this week, but he has not responded.

I held back from reporting the matter for a long time because Smith was still receiving counselling. But given the police interest in him, the circumstances have changed.

Smith was issued a bench warrant on August 20 to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on September 18, at which point he will be charged with one count of disclosing “inside knowledge” for illegal betting and one count of supplying dangerous drugs.

Smith is an intelligent and interesting individual who is loved by his close mates. There is little love for him from the Roosters.

Shadowy figures and Frank conversations

With the NRL dealing with allegations Brandon Smith shared team information with a drug dealer, a former Australian Rugby League boss has lifted the lid on his dealings with a low-level drug dealer and professional punter with links to leading Australian players and the Roosters club in the early 2000s.

It is a story that reveals drug dealers have tried to get their claws into league players for years to gain information from them.

Former ARL chief executive Geoff Carr says he had to warn off a shadowy figure who was attempting to infiltrate the game. The man, known as “Frank”, was friends with leading rugby league players.

Frank was very popular among players. He used those associations to swap party drugs for information, which provided him with an edge when it came to gambling.

Carr has revealed he warned then Roosters coach Phil Gould about Frank’s links to the club. Gould banned Frank from associating with his players.

When Frank showed up on the fringes of a Kangaroo tour, it was the final straw for Carr.

“The reason that Frank was a concern was because he was one of those blokes who didn’t work,” Carr said. “I’d known him for 20 years, and we played touch [football] together. He was a low-level drug dealer and punter, and knew lots of the players. He had access to the players’ information and he had a way of making it worth their while.

“He would be around the Roosters and I told Gus [Gould] at the time it was a concern for him, and Gus banned him.”

Gould declined to comment, but did confirm he had banned Frank from associating with his players, and the players from associating with him.

It became a bigger story when Frank showed up on the Kangaroo tour.

“It became a real concern when Frank turned up in England,” Carr said. “That really rang alarm bells for me because I knew about Frank. When I got back from my time in England, [ex-player and league administrator] Chris Johns called me. Gorden Tallis was one of the players [on the Kangaroo tour] and he said to Johnsy that Frank could be a danger. I didn’t need to see any more, so I barred him [Frank] everywhere.”

The reaction was predictable.

“He didn’t take it kindly,” Carr recalled. “He kept turning up where I was and there was one day at the football, it was almost half-time, and Frank put his hand on my shoulder started screaming at me. Before I knew it, there was a player called Mark Lyons who was by my side. He was 10 rows back and had seen what was happening and came to help me. And it was happening in front of my wife.

“As it turned out, Frank went to Queensland and some people got to him up there because he was tipping cops off to stay out of trouble ... He was never the same after that. He came back in dreadful shape.”

Too much to bear

There is considerable tension between the Gold Coast Titans and incoming club the Perth Bears.

It is not around big Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who is being mooted as the Bears’ big target. Instead, the focus in on Ezra Howe, the former Titans recruiting chief slated for a role at the expansion club.

The concern from the Gold Coast is that Howe had been trying to sow the seeds for the Bears while working for the Titans.

This column has heard as much, but here is the catch: the Bears say they haven’t done a deal with Howe. It’s almost certain now the Bears will not employ him, forcing them to look for a different head of recruitment.

I have been told the media have jumped the gun when it comes to his role at the Bears. That seems highly unusual because he is the man incoming coach Mal Meninga wanted in the role. And I keep hearing he has been busily going about the job.

Mark’s Roo colours

There is a push for Sydney Roosters star and former Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase to be selected on the Kangaroo tour to England in October and November. It could play a part in his decision-making process in the months to come as he contemplates his playing future.

Nawaqanitawase did his Kangaroos chances no harm on Friday night, scoring another fours tries in the big win over the Storm to take his season tally to 20.

Nawaqanitawase is contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2026. He will be heavily wooed by Rugby Australia to return to the 15-man code after making a stellar start to his league career.

The prestige around the Kangaroos could be used as a lure to keep him in Australia and in league.

Roosters chairman Nick Politis does not want to lose him to rugby for the World Cup in Australia in 2027, and nor do the bosses of the game, who view him as a big selling point.

The ire of the Storm

Craig Bellamy’s 600th NRL game as a coach is an incredible achievement from a man who is in the conversation as the greatest of all time. The Storm mentor deserves every bit of praise he gets.

However, there was an interesting line in the media release celebrating the milestone. Among the achievements listed were Bellamy’s “five grand final wins”. That provoked some NRL clubs, who say that only three count because the 2007 and 2009 premierships were stripped by the NRL after the club was found to have been rorting the salary cap.

The media release was well worded because, on the field, they did win those five deciders. And that’s exactly how the players feel about those moments. And it’s how the club feels.

But whatever you do, don’t raise the 2007 and 2009 premierships with players or fans from the losing teams, Manly and Parramatta.

Allianz over

Wests Tigers took part in the “mini Magic Round” at Allianz Stadium in round 24, when the Roosters and Rabbitohs also hosted games as part of the Gadhu Gathering. Three NRL games were played on three consecutive nights at the ground.

Word is the Tigers won’t take part next year and if the concept is to continue, they will need to look for a third host.

Gal now boardroom brawler

The Sharks’ first and only premiership-winning skipper, Paul Gallen, is joining the Cronulla board. But he needed some convincing.

More comfortable in a dressing room or boxing ring, it’s now boardroom brawling for Gallen.

“It’s something I never thought I’d be involved in,” he said. “I hung up and laughed at [chairman] Steven Mace when it first came up. He called a few days later after I’d thought about it. I thought it’s a good opportunity for my personal development and to get out of my comfort zone.

“I’m always about giving things a go. I get to do that and try to help the club I’ve been at now for more than 25 years.”

Eagles rocking

A move to buy into the privately owned Sea Eagles could still be an option. A buyer is certainly interested in acquiring a stake in Manly, and a lack of stability at the club, from the boardroom down, and rumblings of dissatisfaction with chairman and owner Scott Penn and CEO Tony Mestrov won’t go away. It’s all coming from within the club.

Now the junior pathways workers have been told to reapply for their jobs.

Not so sweet 16

A quote from Foxtel boss Patrick Delany criticising the Panthers for resting 16 players for their clash with the Bulldogs on Thursday night did not go down well with some.

“I can understand Penrith’s management has the finals in mind,” he wrote. “But of all Australian sports, I thought the NRL and the teams of the NRL had a real sense of looking after the fans.”

Delany was only standing up for the fans, who no doubt felt short-changed by Penrith’s decision to rest so many stars, but the quote on X prompted some fans to take aim at Fox Sports.

Comments like this one from Alan Katzmann did not miss: “Is employing Ben Elias and Steve Roach done with the best interests of the fans in mind? What about calling so many games from the studio, Mr Delaney? Do you do that too, for the fans? Glass houses.”

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