Victor Radley has been spotted at a trendy beach café with his Sydney Roosters teammates just days before court proceedings in a drug supply case he has been swept into.
The 27-year-old forward was joined by his pregnant fiancée Taylah Cratchley and their young son Vinnie as he mingled with fellow players at outdoor tables at a Bronte cafe.
Roosters players present included Angus Crichton, Billy Smith, Robert Toia, James Tedesco, Connor Watson, Hugo Savala, Egan Butcher and Mark Nawaqanitawase.
The group, many of them shirtless, laughed, scrolled their phones and shared food and coffee, enjoying a calm afternoon before the finals and an off-field distraction that continues to dominate headlines.
Radley, carrying his son in some moments and walking separately in others, cut a casual figure amid speculation after revelations he was named in a police summons issued to South Sydney’s Brandon Smith.
The summons alleges Smith supplied a dangerous drug on June 7 during a Sunshine Coast trip that included several Roosters players.
Radley relaxed with his teammates after being unwittingly roped into Brandon Smith’s drug case through a police summons
Wallabies convert Mark Nawaqanitawase will get to experience NRL finals in his first season
Queensland Police have charged Smith with two offences: supplying a dangerous drug and using or disclosing inside knowledge for betting.
The supply allegation specifies Currimundi on the Sunshine Coast, on the same date Radley and a group of Roosters were there on a golf trip during a bye round.
Court documents name Radley in relation to the supply claim.
The Daily Mail does not suggest that Radley has engaged in any wrongdoing.
Smith’s legal team has already indicated the hooker intends to fight the charges, stressing the documents do not allege he physically handed drugs to anyone.
Radley has not been charged with any offence. Police have not indicated he is under investigation, and reports have emphasised that his role is as a named figure in the summons, not as a suspect.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson and club officials have defended their player, stating there is no evidence of wrongdoing and stressing that the matter remains focused on Smith.
‘He was pretty hurt on that night when the journalist called him. All he could do was ring us and tell us what the journalist said was going to come out,’ Robinson said.
‘And that’s the surprising thing because things come out, but they don’t come to us, they don’t come to the person. They come to you guys (the media) and then we’re standing here talking about something we haven’t seen.
Egan Butcher and Queensland State of Origin debutant Robert Toia (right) enjoyed some time in the sun
Skipper James Tedesco sipped water ahead of the NRL finals campaign and a tilt at the Dally M player of the year award
Angus Crichton (left) and Billy Smith soak in some warm spring rays at the trendy Bronte café
‘I’m not sure that’s the order of how things should work, but it’s the way that things work. We haven’t seen anything, so these are all speculations based on a third party that wants to be first in a story, so when the facts are there, we’ll deal with them.
‘People’s integrity is at stake, so you need to make sure that you look after the integrity of the people involved and the club, and some people have been wrongly attached to things as well, so we’ve got to be careful.’
The investigation first came to light when Smith was questioned by detectives at Coolangatta Airport in early August.
He had flown in with the Rabbitohs ahead of a clash with the Titans. Police later described the stop as ‘opportunistic’ and part of a wider probe.
Smith was cooperative before being cleared to play. Two weeks later, a formal summons was issued.
Smith is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on September 18. His phone, which had been seized, was later returned.
While the legal process looms, the Roosters have locked in a place in the 2025 NRL Finals as the eighth seed, setting up a sudden-death clash with Cronulla at Sharks Stadium.
