Parker shrugs off Broncos cocaine rumours
Rumours that Brisbane will be the next NRL club engulfed in the Queensland sport cocaine scandal have been dismissed as just that by Broncos veteran Corey Parker.
The back-rower said his club had been caught up in a “frenzy” after some bookmakers suspended betting on Brisbane’s NRL season opener against South Sydney next week.
It came after Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) announced more arrests could be made by the end of this week or early next week as part of their investigation into the state’s cocaine trafficking syndicate that has already claimed players in two codes.
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Queensland Reds code hopper Karmichael Hunt and five Gold Coast Titans NRL players have become embroiled in the scandal.
And rumours have also linked four Broncos players.
The Broncos’ official line is that they are “not concerned” by the speculation after having no contact from Queensland police or crime authorities.
And it was a line Parker stuck to on Thursday.
“It is a frenzy,” he said.
“All you guys (media) are here tiptoeing around the same question.
“But all it is innuendo and rumours.
“I have got nothing else for you (on the topic).”
When asked whether he was shocked that Broncos players’ names had been caught up in the rumours, Parker said: “What names are they?
“You are talking about names that are floating around but you can’t give me one of them.
“It’s rumour and innuendo until those names are specified or they are tapped on the shoulder.
“There is nothing else for me to say.”
Parker said no one should read too much into coach Wayne Bennett’s address to players on the cocaine scandal before last weekend’s World Club Series UK trip that came to light on Thursday.
Bennett reportedly asked Brisbane players to tell him if they were involved in drugs after the cocaine scandal hit before they flew out to the UK.
“Wayne made a stance on the situation but it’s nothing different to what Wayne has said my whole career,” Parker said.
“It wasn’t an impromptu speech.
“It was just the way he goes about his business.”
Parker did not believe it would be a distraction ahead of their blockbuster opener against NRL premiers South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium on March 5.
“Round one is about to start, there were three great games over in the UK (World Club Series),” Parker said.
“I am not sure how much of that has been talked about.
“Unfortunately we are talking about other stuff.
“It’s disappointing that the code has gone through an incident like this but we will deal with it the best we can and move on.”
– AAP