- The short version of the video has been shared hundreds of times.
- It was heavily edited from an hour-long interactive video.
- The Club has rejected the accusations of irregularities
The Sydney Roosters NRL club has threatened football fans with legal action for making “highly distorted” comments after a video of players giving away merchandise went viral.
Roosters players Terrell May, Brandon Smith, Joseph Suaali’i, Naufahu Whyte, Spencer Leniu and Zach Dockar-Clay appeared in a live video May posted to streaming platform Twitch, featuring footage from just over one hour long.
However, a heavily edited version of the video went viral, attracting a number of potentially defamatory comments from fans who claimed some of the stars were taking drugs.
Brandon Smith (centre) talks to Sydney Roosters fans during the hour-long live stream posted on Twitch
Some football fans accused the players of taking drugs while off camera in the footage, which has been examined by Daily Mail Australia and shows no evidence of any illegal activity.
Daily Mail Australia does not infer that any person depicted in the video has acted illegally or breached any NRL rules.
The video was an open and happy forum with fans, with the players happily chatting with their followers, sending greetings and giving away merchandise to lucky followers.
WATCH THE FULL UNEDITED VIDEO HERE
The Roosters issued an official statement about the edited video on Monday and condemned the people and social media accounts who shared the edited footage.
“The Sydney Roosters have been made aware of a short clip from a longer live broadcast that some on social media have claimed identifies behavior that breaches NRL rules,” the statement read.
‘The live stream in question was part of a transparent hour-long interaction with one of our player’s supporters the night before the Club’s Round 11 match.
‘The players who appeared on the broadcast selected the winners for various draws for shirts, boots and caps. “The players were fully aware that they were being watched by the live stream participants.”
The Gallos players laughed and joked with the fans, answered their questions, greeted their members and gave away club products.
Sydney Roosters players react to the club’s loss to the Cronulla Sharks during the Magic Round in Brisbane at the weekend. The video was recorded the night before the game.
The Roosters also responded to allegations that players involved in the video were using illicit substances, stating it was patently false.
“The clip does not reveal any illicit substance use or any other breach of NRL rules, however some consider it appropriate to make that extremely distorted and clearly damaging claim,” the statement read.
‘The Sydney Roosters maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity, both on and off the field. Our players comply with all NRL policies, including their rigorous drug testing and educational programs.
‘As a Club, we remind those on social media that we take the defamatory statements that some have made very seriously and that we are carrying out a thorough investigation to identify the source(s) of a number of false allegations.
“Legal action will be taken against those responsible for spreading harmful and unsubstantiated allegations.”