Roosters urge Victor Radley to explore options at rival NRL and Super League clubs
September 17, 2025 — 6.33pm
The Sydney Roosters have urged Victor Radley’s management to begin exploring options in the NRL and Super League as they explore the possibility of parting ways with the representative forward.
With Roosters supremo Nick Politis due to land back in Sydney from an overseas business trip on Thursday morning, the club is exploring the potential of severing ties with one of their favourite sons after he was implicated in a Queensland Police investigation that has led to former Roosters teammate Brandon Smith facing two charges.
Smith is due to appear on Thursday at Southport Magistrates Court, where he will plead not guilty to unlawfully supplying a dangerous drug and using or disclosing inside knowledge for betting.
Radley has not been charged and is only implicated by police referring to text messages from his phone.
The club does not want to sack Radley. He is loved by all at the club, who respect the passion he has for the jersey. Their preference is to reach an amicable resolution with the player and his manager and avoid a potential unfair dismissal legal suit.
Radley still has two more years to run on his deal worth around $700,000 a season. The Roosters haven’t decided on a course of action and will wait until the matter is heard in court on Thursday before deciding their next move.
However, club powerbrokers are making preparations to exit their contract with Radley. They are looking at their legal options and the terms and conditions of his deal.
Radley is due to join teammates at the club’s presentation night on Thursday just hours after the Smith case is due in court. This masthead has been told Radley is unlikely to appear.
His manager Sam Ayoub has been informed by the Roosters that it would be in his client’s best interest to begin gauging interest with rival clubs.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity said the Roosters were disappointed that Radley’s version of events differed to the one spelled out in
text messages that were put forward as evidence by the police and obtained by this masthead.
The club spoke to Radley when this masthead revealed last month that Queensland police alleged Smith supplied his former teammate with a dangerous drug during a golf trip to the Sunshine Coast with six teammates during the bye round in June.
Radley is believed to have told the club that he made contact with the dealer but did not follow through and purchase the cocaine.
Police evidence published on Tuesday shows text messages between Radley’s phone and the dealer that contradicts the England international’s version of events.
Text from Radley to Dealer A: 10 mins off
Dealer A to Radley: Sends image of GPS position of vehicle on Nicklin Way.
Radley: Happy Days. Am I gonna jump in with you?
Dealer A: Yep
Radley: Mad cheers bro
Dealer A: Hilux jacked Gray (sic)
Radley: Hektic cheers. 1 min off lad. Just coming through the lights.
About an hour after the alleged collection of the cocaine, the Gold Coast dealer, who organised the deal, messages Radley’s phone.
Goldie dealer: F... bro sorry about all that massive mission we are all coming down for the round 27 roosters vs rabbits.
Radley: Allgood bro you sorted us good man. Yep let me know if you need anything I’ll sort it for ya.
Earlier this year, Politis said he wanted a zero-tolerance policy at the club when it came to drugs.
“My view is if somebody’s caught doing cocaine or leaning over snorting something, we’re going to get rid of them,” Politis told
The Sunday Telegraph. “Our stance is zero tolerance. We are very strong on it. Trent [Robinson] is very strong on it.
“We haven’t had to do that yet (move a player on) but we want to send a message to kids, and to mums and dads, that our club has that sort of stance towards this sort of thing.”
