Victor Radley, a Sydney Roosters and England forward in the NRL, has recently been in the spotlight because of his involvement in a drugs-related scandal linked to former teammate Brandon Smith, which led to a very heavy club punishment and wider fallout.

Quick scoop: what he “did”

In 2025, court documents and media reports revealed a series of text messages linking Radley to an alleged drug deal involving an accused dealer and former Roosters teammate Brandon Smith in Queensland. The messages suggested he had requested an illegal substance (often described in reports as part of the “Brandon Smith drugs saga”), but importantly, police did not lay any criminal charges against Radley.

The Sydney Roosters judged that his conduct and the surrounding publicity had brought the club into disrepute, even without charges. They handed him what they called the heaviest internal sanction in the club’s history:

  • 10‑match suspension without pay, ruling him out until around Round 11 of the next NRL season
  • Requirement to donate $30,000 to St Vincent’s Hospital as part of the penalty
  • A formal statement of apology from Radley to the club, teammates, sponsors, members, and fans.

NRL officials have also been reported as preparing their own sanctions, including a further suspension and significant salary loss, again framed as punishment for bringing the game into disrepute rather than for a criminal offence. At the same time, reports say the Roosters have encouraged him to look at other options for 2026, even though they did not terminate his contract because he was not charged and they were wary of a wrongful dismissal claim.

Where things stand now

Radley has publicly accepted the sanctions and issued a “sincere” apology, saying he is sorry for the negative spotlight on the Roosters and that he wants to earn back trust. Following the ban, he also ruled himself out of England’s Ashes series against Australia, despite remaining eligible and highly rated by England coach Shaun Wane.

The Roosters’ chairman has reiterated their zero‑tolerance stance on drugs, stressing that if there had been legal grounds to rip up his contract, they likely would have done so. For now, the situation sits in a grey area: a serious professional and reputational breach in the eyes of the club and league, but without criminal charges from police.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.