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Houston ... there could be more Knights on the radar. Nathan Edwards
Police say there could be more Newcastle players under investigation
By Peter Kogoy and Margie McDonald
March 04, 2010
Within hours of Chris Houston quitting his $200,000-a-year contract with Newcastle Knights, police sources have revealed the noose could be tightening on more players.
"There could be even more under the microscope," a senior police source is quoted as saying in The Australian newspaper.
"Since Wicks, his brother and sister-in-law were arrested four to six weeks ago, another 18 to 20 people have been picked up for supplying and distributing illicit drugs. Not all of these have at this stage been linked directly or associated with the Knights.
"But the problem we've uncovered is that illicit drugs is a serious issue in this area.
"The drug problem is a major concern in this area. It wouldn't surprise me if we catch more as the net widens. We just haven't had the manpower available to listen to all the taped phone conversations.
"We still have hundreds of hours of tape recordings to sift through."
Detectives attached to Strike Force Welham under the command of Acting Assistant NSW Commissioner Geoff McKechnie on Monday charged Houston with three counts of supplying ecstasy and one count of supplying cocaine.
Houston, from Narooma on the NSW south coast, will appear in Newcastle Local Court on April 13.
Houston formally resigned from the Knights on Wednesday, releasing a statement through his lawyer.
"The Knights have a strict code of conduct which I have always supported. The club has taken enough hits because of these charges," Houston's statement read. "Therefore, I feel obligated to disassociate myself from the club until my matter is resolved."
At the NRL's season launch on Wednesday, Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said he had accepted Houston's resignation.
"We understand he's got a huge battle to fight now and his mind just couldn't be around football during this time. We'll let the legal system take its course."
Burraston was reluctant to guarantee that no other people linked to the club would be snared in the police investigation after being let down by Houston.
"There was no indication to me that he was involved in any way, so it's a hell of a shock," he said.
Burraston arrives back in Newcastle on Thursday and said he would once again speak to players collectively and individually.
When pressed further on the possibility of further charges being laid, Burraston felt that because the court cases for both Wicks and Houston would start next month then the whole incident - for the Knights at least - would reach a conclusion.
"Hopefully, there's no more. I was hoping there'd be no more after Danny Wicks so I'm not game to say that," Burraston said.
He reiterated Newcastle was a break-even club and losing any sponsors would hit hard. But he said all sponsors he spoke to had been supportive.
"Of course, they're not happy with the situation as any prudent business people would not be," he said. "But at present they're solid although they're demanding answers from me which is their right.
"If I was in their position I'd be asking for the same information. I'm happy to provide that for them and we'll be doing that over the coming days."
NRL chief executive David Gallop was asked if the league would step in to keep the Knights afloat financially if a key sponsor walked away.
"We're not at that situation at the moment," Gallop said.
"They are dealing with this the best that they can.
"It's primarily a matter for the police but the Knights have taken their own action with the players concerned and that's all they can do at this stage."
