Cross-code football star Karmichael Hunt reportedly told police he binged on drugs and alcohol for days at a time and would sometimes turn up to official team functions high.
On one occasion, he met his dealer outside a pizza shop to score cocaine for himself and his club mates.
The Sunday Telegraph says 28-year-old Hunt also made explosive allegations to Queensland law enforcement officers about other high profile rugby union and rugby league players before appearing in court on the Gold Coast in March, when he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine.
The paper says the information was provided in return for Hunt getting a lighter sentence, which in turn helped salvage his new $2 million contract with Super Rugby’s Queensland Reds.
It also alleges Hunt identified to police a previously unnamed Australia and State of Origin rugby league player as having put him in contact with a Gold Coast drug dealer.
“I believe that I would have got (the dealers) number from (the player),” the paper quotes Hunt as telling investigators.
“While I have never partied with (the player) or seen him using drugs, I was aware that he partied every so often and dabbled with cocaine.”
Hunt told police he blamed the stress of switching clubs and football codes for going off the rails.
HarryT
Guest
I'm wondering what Wendell Sailor is thinking about all this. Two years he was banned.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
A neurosurgeon a couple of years back got done for snorting big quantities of coke but wasn't caught until he failed to call for help when a hooker (non-rugby sort) overdosed in his hotel room, and unfortunately deceased. People in all walks of life make mistakes. What distinguishes them is how they carry on after the fall.
bazza
Guest
Why?? Did he rat out your dealer ??
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Boomeranga
Guest
It sounds like you've an amazing Job Mick, but with respect, I don't know that it counts for much when all I am responding to is your assertion about the locals of Narrabri not liking Pocock because they're centrelink desperates needing a job. Did you work with the communities around there on this mine?
Steve
Guest
A little Bird told me....oh no, I've given it away!!!
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Maules Creek is like – you know, totally - in Tamworth electorate, not Barwon, in which there are precious few coal mines! The elected Member ran very specifically on support for mining and succeeded. If one wanted to talk coal to Kevin Humphreys MP he’d rightly suggest “You’re on the wrong side of the Namoi, son, talk to my colleagues representing the New England region.” The Northern Daily Leader is a regional daily, with near half of its circulation north and north west of Tamworth, three times that of the couple of times a week Narrabri based local paper. I’ve made my point well enough. Educate yourself with the substantial objective material on Maules Creek on Whitehaven’s web site (including thousands of pages of professional assessments submitted to government ... and the media reports cited) or don’t bother, stay with what little you now know and argue dismissively. What’s with the “google” shtick, Boomeranga? I’m happy to offer observations based on a professional career getting new coal mines up and running from Merriwa to Moranbah, including much amusement at games farmers play when they fail to win mine lotto, freeing them from the millstone of a marginally productive holding. I too am bemused by the moderation regime here. My original polite comments have disappeared.
Brisbane boys
Guest
Move on I would have torn up his contract even if he had to be paid as he he was clearly not what they wanted. His contract would have been for a proven very professional player which he celearly is but he is not a player who is good for culture. Same as KB
QldFan
Guest
Personal insults don't wash marto. Attack the content, but not the poster is the only way to avoid being a troll, and have your comment reported.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
No. Because he admitted to breaking laws using illegal drugs. Anthony Fainga'a was not dropped for Hunt and both remain in the team. The Reds Management made a decision of which direction they want to go with the organisation by backing a person found guilty of drug possession on the weak excuse, he wasn't contracted at the time. Even that was a loophole as he was actually training with them already.
marto
Guest
TWAS mate let go...Is it because he took your poster boy Ant Faaingaas spot??
marto
Guest
QldFan You must have your head in the sand or have been under a rock this last 5 years, It wouldn`t leave any players left to play the game if they employed your criteria...Sheesh..
marto
Guest
J JOHNS ??
JTG
Guest
I guess that's why so many people in stress jobs such as neurosurgeon's, oncologist's etc take cocaine for the stress!!! What a load of .... Grow up and Man up Karmichael. At the end of the day you are just a footballer not a rocket scientist.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I'm further disappointed the Reds took the easy way out and didn't terminate Hunt's contract when they had the chance. Whilst I don't think his crime made him a terrible person, if the Reds want to be a better environment they need to hold higher standards and his actions didn't fit that. Instead they looked for a weak excuse to avoid the hard decision. Now it's only coming back to further hurt them. They have not got what they expected both on the field and in the PR department with Hunt and I can imagine the only reason they chose to not terminate him was because of a perceived value which has not at all been reached.
UncleRon
Guest
Wouldn't have a hope without the nice horsey man AJ.
Noel
Roar Rookie
Devastated to hear that J Smith, in Toowoomba, was allegedly involved in drug trafficking (my favourite player of all time).. His was a great pub, in Toowoomba. Also, not so surprised that K Hunt (say that 10 times real quick) would sell out to save his own skin. Not OJ God-complex, but we're getting there.
Leroy14
Roar Rookie
It's in the paper so it must be true. i suppose you still think there was weapons of mass destruction in iraq too
Bakkies
Guest
The Terrorgraph report is Phil Rothfield that pillar of Australian journalism.
GC
Guest
And once again the Qld Reds and the ARU take there members and supporters hard earned money to pay a druggy. Any of us would have been sacked from our job for a situation like this. Just goes to show how out of touch the Qld Reds and the ARU are. No stds and no ethics.