Brandon Smith: Footy star breaks down as he reveals how his loved ones paid the price when he was caught up in white powder video scandal
Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith fought back tears as he described how his mother, niece and nephew paid the price when he became embroiled in a white powder video scandal.
The New Zealand international was embroiled in the infamous incident with then Storm teammates Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis following their side’s withdrawal from the 2021 finals.
A leaked video showed them in a hotel room with a mysterious white substance on a coffee table. Smith was seen in front of the table with a rolled up note and a card.
The players were all suspended for one match and fined.
Brandon Smith and Storm teammates Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis were all sanctioned following their infamous 2021 white powder scandal
Smith recently opened up about that tumultuous period in his life when he appeared on The Keegan and Company podcast.
“It was bad, man, it was bad,” said Smith, who revealed he first heard of the news while attending the Dally M Awards ceremony.
‘But not for me. It was bad for my mother – I wanted her to enjoy her evening, and what really hit me then was that my niece and nephew were being bullied at school because of something I did.
“You know, I fucking did that and hearing it from my brother and just seeing that damn brother hurt my heart.
‘You being an idiot has caused so much pain to your family and your loved ones… like abandoning them is the ultimate fear of me, and when it affects the people around you then it really hits home Through.’
Smith also got into trouble at the Storm for saying the team had a strong drinking culture.
Smith (pictured playing for the Storm) said the impact the White Powder scandal had on his family really hit home for him
The star striker said the consequences of his actions ‘really hurt his heart’
“Drinking is a big part of the culture at the Storm,” he said on the YKTR podcast.
“As a footballer I want to be remembered as the bastard who went there and tried. [Past players say] F**k, I love watching you play, you go damn hard.
“At the Storm, mate, drinking is a big part of the culture.
‘We had a beer pong match at my house and Scott Drinkwater, we were playing beer pong, Dale (Finucane) was blind and Scott kept pouring vodka into his beer cups and he drank a bottle of vodka in 32 minutes, like a whole bottle and he was so screwed .
“He doesn’t realize how strong he is, he just grabs you and handles you and twenty minutes later he has his shoe and he spits in his shoe.”
Smith apologized for the comments and was slammed by coach Craig Bellamy and Melbourne football manager Frank Ponissi.
“The drinking problem… we’ve been in the top four for seven years in a row, and that doesn’t happen when you’re a team of drunks,” Bellamy said.
In the second round of the 2022 season, Smith was accused of mocking Souths star Latrell Mitchell by imitating his field goal celebration after the Storm’s golden point win, despite not playing in the match due to injury.
Later that season he was investigated by the NRL for allegedly using a sexual slang term when interrupting teammate Xavier Coates during an interview on Anzac Day.