The lawyer representing Gold Coast Titans players accused of drug offences has warned it could take 12-18 months for the cases to be finalised.
It leaves Titans management and the NRL facing big decisions on how to treat the players – notably whether they should be allowed to continue playing – during what looms as a protracted legal process.
Lawyer Campbell MacCallum said his clients – Greg Bird, Dave Taylor and Kalifa Faifai-Loa and Jamie Dowling – intend to deny the pending charges of cocaine supply when they first face court in early March and he was confident they would ultimately be cleared.
MacCallum described as “premature” a report on Tuesday that the players may consider suing the NRL club if they weren’t allowed to play in the 2015 season.
“I can say the players have instructed they are loyal to the club. They’re not talking about suing anyone,” MacCallum told Fox Sports News.
While playing down the threat of legal action against the club, MacCallum was concerned about the possibility the players – who were stood down pending their court appearances after receiving their court notices – could be sidelined for a much longer period.
“The issue arises when there’s been some stories about the board perhaps standing players down indefinitely or until the court proceedings have been finalised,” he said.
“Unfortunately the nature of criminal proceedings before a court, especially allegations of this nature, are that they can run for 12-18 months if they’re defended.”
Speaking earlier on radio, MacCallum also dismissed speculation about a drug ring at the NRL club.
“Reports that the players are alleged to be involved in a drug syndicate or a sophisticated drug cartel are not true,” he said on Triple M.
“The accusations involve a small amount of personal use, and that the drugs were being sourced by players for the personal use of other players.
“The target of the operation was not any of the players or any sporting identity. It was allegedly someone with high-level drug dealings.
“It is someone known socially to players.”
Dowling and teammate Beau Falloon received notices to appear in court on March 5 – two days before the Titans’ opening match of the NRL season against the Wests Tigers – while Bird, Taylor and Faifai-Loa are due to face court on March 9.
Another former Titans squad member, Joe Vickery, and Queensland Reds star Karmichael Hunt have also been implicated in an investigation by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission.
