The Roosters have been tipped off about the presence of a convicted drug courier in their dressing rooms, and have moved to ban him.
Aaron Macey, a regular on a podcast hosted by Braith Anasta and Reni Maitua, posted a photo recently from inside the Roosters’ sheds, which was flagged by people with knowledge of his history.
The NRL integrity unit alerted the Roosters to the issue, and the Tricolours have moved to prevent him from having any direct involvement with the team.
It comes as the club reels after star forward Victor Radley was implicated in a Queensland Police investigation that led to former teammate Brandon Smith facing a drug supply charge.
Radley was docked 10 weeks’ pay and banned for 10 games after a series of text messages to an alleged drug dealer were revealed by police.
Macey was one of two men jailed for acting as couriers for the drug syndicate involving former Newcastle Knight Jarrod Mullen. Macey, from Sydney’s eastern suburbs, was jailed in 2020 for four years and six months.
Macey pleaded guilty to two charges, including supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
The Roosters say Macey was brought into the dressing rooms by a club sponsor. Roosters chief operating officer Jarrod Johnstone was informed of the issue by the NRL. Chief executive Joe Kelly was unaware of Macey’s presence in the rooms until this column asked him about it.
The Roosters did not want to comment.
Roosters chairman Nick Politis has publicly expressed a zero-tolerance attitude to drugs in the past.
Macey did nothing wrong at the football. He has become something of an identity through his role on the BTFU podcast, which features Anasta and Maitua. He appears to give racing tips while the other hosts talk about rugby league.
The stats don’t lie
The ongoing attacks on Bulldogs half Lachlan Galvin and support for the outgoing Toby Sexton are difficult to let pass without some emotion-free examination.
Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo have their hands tied as they don’t want to criticise Sexton. He is a popular figure and well liked by both men. It’s not difficult to find stats that highlight the contributions of both halves during the season and in the finals.
There is a list compiled by a leading statistician that shows the NRL halves who have the greatest influence on the scoreboard. At the top for the season was Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes, with Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins) second and Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles) was third.
Minutes played are obviously a significant factor, because Cameron Munster (Storm) was 11th and Nathan Cleary (Panthers) was 12th. Galvin was 16th.
At the tail of the field, in 36th and 37th, were Bulldogs Matt Burton and Sexton. That has been conveniently ignored by those working publicly against Galvin.
Also worth comparing are the contributions from the halves in last Sunday’s 46-26 semi-final win by the Panthers over the Bulldogs.
Sexton was given control of the Bulldogs, but had just two runs for 13 metres and no line breaks. Galvin had nine runs and three line breaks. Sexton had no try assists, no try-assist involvements, no line breaks and no tries. Galvin had two try assists, one try-assist involvement, two line breaks and one try.
Despite all the evidence, Sexton was blindly championed by certain sections of the media. Maybe he was being used as a Trojan horse to attack Gould and Ciraldo. But it might also be because Sexton is a genuine person and a great guy. The way he took his demotion and recall showed class. It’s why he may end up back in the NRL one day soon after his stint in Super League. He has the potential to dominate in that competition.
A very green machine
Rising Raiders star Ethan Strange was so sick he would have been in doubt for a preliminary final this weekend had the Raiders made it through. Strange was withdrawn from last Saturday’s semi-final against the Sharks, which the Raiders lost 32-12.
“I’ve only just started to come good today,” he said on Friday afternoon. “I think I could have played [in a prelim], but I’m still not great. It really knocked me about. I thought it was just a normal flu, but I was really sick.
“I had head spins and headaches. At one point in the middle of the night I woke up and my heart rate was at 120 beats a minute.
“I remember thinking, I’ve never felt this sick. I rang the doc at 2am before the game and he answered, and I said, ‘I’m really sick’. He knew then I was out.
“I never got the chance to tell [coach] Ricky [Stuart] myself because I went back to sleep and by the time I woke up the doc and my mum had talked to him.
“I was devastated. I felt like I let the boys down … I watched the game, and it was just so hard. I was wishing I was out there. I was gutted. I felt for Ricky and all the boys.”
There will be better days for the future representative star.
“I’ve heard the talk about [being selected for] the Kangaroos, and obviously that would be dream come true, but I have not heard from [coach] Kevie [Walters], so I’m not getting too excited,” he said.
With Stuart as his coach and his dad, John, the Roosters’ NRLW coach, in his ear, he will never get ahead of himself.
“I never get much praise from that bloke [dad John],” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know if I can cop praise. My dad was never happy. It’s a tough house. He’s tough on my game and always has been. He still only picks things out I can do better. I suppose it’s been good for me though as I can hear what he says and it’s made me think about what I do and to focus heavily on winning.”
A stand against standing down
Jack de Belin has provided an insight into a private conversation he had with then NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg, which he thinks led to the code’s adoption of the no-fault stand-down policy.
In 2021, de Belin was found not guilty of one of six charges related to the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Wollongong. The remaining charges were then dropped after juries in two separate trials were unable to reach a verdict.
Speaking on the Chiming In podcast to Steve Gillis, de Belin tells the story of a meeting with Greenberg.
Gillis: At the very beginning you had a meeting with Todd Greenberg, and he encouraged you to stand down. I don’t think anyone knows about this. Take us through what happened that morning and where it took place.
De Belin: Yes, this was meant to be a top-secret meeting that only I knew about, but there was media there, of course.
Gillis: So is this before the no-fault stand-down policy came in, and you had a meeting with Todd Greenberg and the CEO of the Dragons, I think it was and …
De Belin: Yeah, he essentially said we’d like you to stand down. He handed me a piece of paper … something that I could read out.
Gillis: He prepared a statement?
De Belin: Yeah, he legit prepared a statement for me to stand myself down, and I was just no way, not for one second I’m going to stand myself down, like I didn’t do this. And that’s essentially why they brought the no-fault stand-down policy in because I wouldn’t stand myself down.
Gillis: So if you did accept Todd Greenberg’s prepared speech and read it, there may not be a no-fault stand-down policy today in the game. Would you agree?
De Belin: Yeah, absolutely. It was the impression … that they wouldn’t have had to [instate] that rule if I did just voluntarily stand down. But I was never going to do that.”
Greenberg would not comment, but did confirm de Belin’s version of events.
Winners and Lozza
Laurie Daley spoke with the NSWRL board on Friday as the Blues continue to unpack their failed campaign. NSW lost the series 2-1 after winning game one in Brisbane.
One thing the board is looking at is where to base their camp next year. Leura has been a great home, but with everything under examination, the venue will be too.
The Blues will need to wait for the NRL draw to come out before Storm coach Craig Bellamy can decide whether he will commit again. He wants to assist Daley, but it’s got to be manageable with his main gig at the Storm his obvious priority.
A Mark in two codes
It should be no shock that Mark Nawaqanitawase is jumping back and forth between codes when you consider the three players he grew up idolising were Israel Folau, Sonny Bill Williams and Jarryd Hayne. They all tried more than one sport, with varying degree of success.
The Herald’s Michael Chammas broke the story on Tuesday that Nawaqanitawase was heading back to rugby at the end of next season to try to win a World Cup on home soil in 2027.
The Roosters are hoping to have Nawaqanitawase back after that. Their ideal scenario would be a two-year stint in Japanese rugby, plus a World Cup campaign, and returning to the NRL mid-2028.
Here is a bit of the man behind the headlines.
Danny Weidler: Which player inspires you?
Mark Nawaqanitawase: “James Tedesco. We share Italian heritage, which is pretty cool. He is a phenomenal player. He makes my job easy. He does a lot of the hard work.”
Weidler: Who are your heroes?
Nawaqanitawase: “I was a Rooster [fan]. I had three main guys I loved growing up. Israel Folau, because of some similarities: he is a Pacific Islander; we play a similar position; I like that he can play both sports. I met Israel when I was with the Tahs [NSW Waratahs]. I did some training with the top team and was star-struck. I didn’t say a word. I just remember him looking at me and just smiling from ear to ear. I looked up to Sonny Bill Williams, obviously, and I met him a bit commentating. And Jarryd Hayne was an incredible player. I’d like to meet him. I tried to watch and emulate those guys in the backyard. Those guys were special to watch because they are freakish athletes.”
Weidler: How do you cope with fame?
Nawaqanitawase: “I’m a bit of a background guy; I don’t like to be too out there. I like my privacy. I’ve noticed a bit more going on in terms of recognition in recent times. It is cool. When I was a kid I was looking for the superstars and putting smiles on kids faces, even adults. It’s cool. I like being nice. Happy to help where I can.”
Weidler: How do you handle the pressure?
Nawaqanitawase: “I just live my life. I’m living the dream, so it’s not really pressure.”
Weidler: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside football?
Nawaqanitawase: “I’m learning the guitar at the moment. Give me a couple of months and then I’ll be more confident. And I just like hanging with my mates and my family.”
Weidler: You’re a freakish talent. How do you do that stuff?
Nawaqanitawase: “For me, it’s just playing footy. I’m just having fun and I’m doing whatever happens. It’s not something I try to do, it’s just instinctive. I’m just having fun.”
Dog hiding in plain sight
Sitting in the crowd at Accor Stadium during last Sunday’s semi-final in a baseball cap completely unnoticed by Bulldogs fans was their star recruit for next season, Leo Thompson. He got first-hand experience of what game day looks and sounds like when the Dogs play.
He arrived a touch late, and perhaps that’s why he escaped the eagle-eyed Bulldogs supporters, but he heard all their views about the playing group.
Daly grind at Brookie
The bad blood between Manly and outgoing skipper Daly Cherry-Evans seems to be at the official level only. And it has not stopped the club from doing him a favour as he stays fit for his next chapter. Departing players usually lose their access to the Manly gym as soon as the season wraps up, but DCE was seen training at the facility recently. It would have been petty to lock him out.
Grand finale on Nine
A rugby league show on the Nine Network on a Thursday night … It’s not the return of The Footy Show, but it’s a clear indication of the increasing prominence that the free-to-air rights holder is giving to the NRL.
Hosted by the best frontman in the business, James Bracey, there will be a big grand final show featuring the captains and coaches of the NRL and NRLW teams live in the studio.
Big guns Phil Gould, Andrew Johns, Cameron Smith, Paul Gallen and others in the Nine commentary team will feature.
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now
