Reporter Paul Crawley believes the Roosters’ punishment handed down to star forward Victor Radley was “excessive”.
The Roosters suspended Radley for 10 games without pay and also asked him to make a $30,000 charity donation over his drug text message saga.
Radley was mentioned in a police investigation that led to his former teammate Brandon Smith needing to answer to allegations of drug supply and providing insider information for betting purposes, to which he pled not guilty.
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Radley hasn’t been charged by police and there are no suggestions of wrongdoing on his part.
Radley spoke to The Daily Telegraph and expressed his remorse.
“I’m embarrassed and never want to be in this position again,” Radley said.
“I made the people I love feel like sh*t.
“I have to stand up, be a man and move forward.”
Radley believed the Roosters were going to terminate his services.
“Yeah, for sure,” Radley said.
“I felt like I could be in some trouble (around) leaving.”
Instead, Radley won’t take the field for the Roosters until May next year.
On NRL 360 on Tuesday night, reporter Dean Ritchie, who conducted the interview with Radley and wrote the article, said he felt the saga had taken its toll on Radley.
“He’s hurting, as he should,” Ritchie said.
“He did the wrong thing. Victor conceded that.
“He said he’s hurt his family.
“He’s hurt his club.”
Co-host Gorden Tallis asked Ritchie how he felt about Radley’s punishment.
“Is that the right decision from the Roosters, do you think?” Tallis asked Ritchie.
“I think so,” Ritchie responded.
“I said it on this show a couple of weeks ago.
“I thought it might have been, actually, a little excessive.
“He’s not been charged by Queensland Police. He’s not been accused of buying drugs, taking drugs, and there’s no accusations of any wrongdoing.
“So I thought 10 games, albeit I applaud it and I want drugs out of our game, I think 10 was a little bit heavy handed.”
Crawley went even further than Ritchie in defending Radley.
“I don’t think it’s a bit excessive, I think it is excessive,” Crawley added.
“It is over what anyone else has got.
“Victor is paying the price because the chairman of the club Nick Politis took the stance he did.
“If it was up to the NRL, or if it was up to the Roosters, had Nick not come out and said (what he did), I doubt he would be serving as big a punishment with the suspension and also with the fine.”
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But Tallis believed the penalty handed down by the Roosters to Radley was sufficient.
“You just hope all the other clubs follow suit, seriously,” Tallis said.
Crawley probed Tallis on his comment.
“In what respect?” Crawley asked.
“Well, it’s not a great look for the game,” Tallis said in reply.
Smith was charged by Queensland police with unlawfully supplying a dangerous drug and using or disclosing inside knowledge of betting.
Smith’s lawyer Paul McGirr has indicated his client will plead not guilty to both charges.
Smith has been released on bail with the matter adjourned until October 9.
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