Thats one down…
NRL rookie Michael Roberts dismissed by Souths after drug supply charge
Eliza Barr and
Savannah Pocock
A retired NRL star’s brother has been sacked by an NRL club before he could even start with them after he was arrested and refused police bail on a pre-existing cocaine supply charge.
Promising young gun Michael Roberts was hauled into Lismore Bail Court on Sunday after he was convicted in his absence of indictable drug supply and participating in a criminal group.
Michael, 20, is the younger brother of former representative player James Roberts, who was the 2015 Dally M Centre of the Year and played more than 160 first-grade games throughout his career.
In an unrelated incident, James was also before court this week on charges of possessing cannabis and $1400 in allegedly unlawfully obtained cash.
He is yet to enter a plea and returns to court on December 18.
James Roberts playing for the Wests Tigers in 2021. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Michael was set to begin full-time pre-season training with the South Sydney Rabbitohs but a spokesman confirmed his time was up before he could even sign on the dotted line.
“The South Sydney Rabbitohs have been made aware of an issue with Michael Roberts,” the spokesman said.
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“Michael did not start training with the club this week and will not be joining the club.”
The Daily Telegraph can reveal a magistrate issued a bench warrant for Michael’s arrest and attendance at court after he did not appear at Ballina Local Court as required on October 18.
Michael Roberts intends to fight the charges, and was granted strict conditional bail by a registrar to reside with his mother in Tweed Heads, abstain from drugs and alcohol, report to police daily and refrain from contacting his co-accused – half-brother Trevor Bolt.
He is next to appear at Ballina Local Court on November 20.
Lismore Courthouse.
A police document tendered to the court detailing his alleged involvement in dial-a-dealer style cocaine supply after Richmond Police District’s Drug Investigation Unit launched Strike Force Kabarli to probe cocaine supply in the NSW Northern Rivers.
“Throughout the investigation, police monitored and recorded (Michael) participating in the following supplies of cocaine with the co-accused person,” police allege in the document.
“Police will assert (Michael) and (Bolt) used phones to conduct and arrange the drug transactions.”
Michael for the Evans Head Bombers in 2022.
Between January and April last year, Bolt allegedly obtained cocaine in various quantities, which he would cut and repackage into 1g and 3.5g quantities for “street-level supply”.
Police will allege they recorded Michael having phone conversations with his half-brother on February 18 and April 20, and April 21 to arrange cocaine deals to customers in Wollongbar and Ballina.
The document of allegations from 2023 describes Michael as a “professional rugby league player with the Dolphins NRL club”.
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The younger Roberts brother trained under Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins as a development player in 2023, and in 2024 had run out for the Evans Head Bombers in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League.
The promising five-eighth came up through well-known rugby league nursery Palm Beach-Currumbin High School and was once named in Brad Fittler’s Junior blues squad
