Australian centre Steve Michaels has played for English rugby league club Hull FC a week after an arrest warrant was issued for him back in Queensland.

Michaels played in struggling Hull FC’s 43-12 home loss to Super League leaders Leeds on Thursday night, despite being implicated in the cocaine scandal that has engulfed his former NRL team Gold Coast.

Hull coach Lee Radford later defended playing Michaels, saying the club had not been contacted by anyone about charges pending against him.

“We’ve had no dialogue from anyone in Australia. I have no issues with it,” said Radford.

Leeds coach Brian McDermott backed Radford’s right to select Michaels.

“Unless you can prove he’s guilty,” McDermott said. “He’s been accused of it. I didn’t have a problem seeing his name on the team sheet.”

The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission announced last Friday it had issued an arrest warrant for Michaels as part of its investigation into drug trafficking which also nabbed code-hopping star Karmichael Hunt and eight current and former Titans players.

The current Titans players have all been stood down by their club.

Two of them, Beau Falloon and Jamie Dowling, faced court on the Gold Coast on Thursday but did not enter pleas and their matters were adjourned until May 8.

Others, including State of Origin stars Greg Bird and Dave Taylor, are expected to face the court on Monday.

Hunt has been suspended for six weeks and fined $30,000 by the Queensland Rugby Union after pleading guilty to four charges of possessing cocaine on Thursday, when he was fined $2500 by the court.