The immediate playing future of the Gold Coast Titans embroiled in the NRL cocaine scandal is still up in the air with club CEO Graham Annesley saying they are still waiting on key information about the charges.
Annesley told AAP the club was yet to see a summary of the police brief on the case.
“Until we get the information that we are after we are no closer to a decision,” Annesley said.
“There are police documents that we need to see before we are in a position to make a decision.
“You can’t make decisions without information.”
Asked if he hoped players would be reinstated before their NRL round one clash against Wests Tigers on Saturday night, Annesley said: “I am hopeful of getting the matter resolved as quickly as possible.
“I don’t think anyone wants to be in this position.
“We have had to react to something that is beyond our control.”
Lawyer Campbell MacCallum – who represents six past and present Titans facing drug charges – had been hopeful of speaking to the Gold Coast board as early as Monday night regarding their reinstatement.
However, he told AAP that he now expected it to be in the “next couple of days” as the players’ day in court loomed.
Beau Falloon and Jamie Dowling will face Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, with Greg Bird, Dave Taylor, Kalifa Faifai Loa and former Titans Joe Vickery and Ashley Harrison set to appear four days later on charges of supplying cocaine.
Falloon’s lawyer Chris Nyst claimed on Monday that the case against his client was non-existent.
Nyst has also written to the Department of Prosecutions and Annesley, calling the case weak.
Nyst said the charge of supplying cocaine came down to a series of vague text messages and phone calls.
He also called for the charges to be thrown out before they reach court.
The Crime and Corruption Commission will reportedly allege Falloon sent alleged cocaine cartel kingpin John Touma a text message hours after the Titans final game of 2014 saying: “The season starts now.”
Nyst is of the belief there is no serious proof against his client.
“It is patently obvious to me that the (case) summary disclosed absolutely nothing to prove Mr Falloon supplied or received anything at all,” he told The Courier-Mail newspaper.
“In my view any competent lawyer would conclude from the disclosed material there is no case against Mr Falloon on any of the charges against him.”
On the back of his statement and letter to the Department of Prosecutions, Nyst wrote to Annesley calling for Falloon’s immediate return to the playing squad.
Meanwhile, MacCallum – who is representing the other six past and present Titans players charged – claimed he was also confident his clients would beat the charges.
ferret
Guest
Just an observation - when the cocaine "scandal" hit, the mainstream media were falling over one another to bring us the latest updates, rumours, speculation and, of course, outrage. We had several days of uninterrupted indignation from commentators in the MSM. Yesterday saw the first piece of information from the other side of the story, the defence, relating to what the QCCC had as "evidence" against their clients. Now, of course, they will also cherry pick the bits that suit them / their clients best so who knows what else the QCCC has. However, at face value the text message is very open to various interpretations, and IMO, not a smoking gun pointing to supplying cocaine. BUT, the really interesting thing is that I saw this press release up on the ABC News site for a couple of hours, and absolutely nowhere else on the MSM! I think this pretty much encapsulates what the MSM considers as "news" and also that they have very little interest in balance, but only interest in "clicks". That's fine, as journalists are employed to make money for companies. As the Godfather said, "Nothing personal, it's business". I just object to them claiming the high moral ground as the fourth estate. (There, I feel better now I've got that off my chest)