The Sydney Roosters have released an official statement after a video of players went viral on social media platforms on Monday evening.
On Monday night, a video involving Roosters players Brandon Smith, Terrell May, Naufahu Whyte and Zach Dockar-Clay went viral on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Reddit and X (formerly known as Twitter).
While the clip from May's livestream showed no use of illicit substances, many individuals decided to make their own assumptions on the video, making false accusations in the process.
The Sydney Roosters released a statement on Tuesday confirming that there was "no use of illicit substances or any other breach of NRL rules."
"The Sydney Roosters have been made aware of a small clip from a longer live stream that some on social media have claimed identifies behaviour that breaches NRL rules," a statement from the club read.
"The live stream in question was part of a transparent one-hour interaction with one of our player's followers on the evening before the Club's Round 11 match.
"The players who featured in the stream selected winners for several giveaways of jerseys, boots and caps. The players were fully aware they were being viewed by participants in the live stream.
"The clip reveals no use of illicit substances or any other breach of NRL rules, however some see fit to make that grossly distorted and clearly damaging claim.
"The Sydney Roosters uphold the highest standards of conduct and integrity, both on and off the field. Our players adhere to all NRL policies, including its rigorous drug testing and education programs.
"As a Club we remind those on social media that we take the defamatory statements some have made very seriously, and we are conducting a thorough investigation to identify the source(s) of several false accusations.
"Legal action will be pursued against those found responsible for spreading damaging and unsubstantiated claims."
