Two more rugby players have been summoned to appear in court by the Queensland Crime Commission (QCC) – one based in Australia and the other in the UK. The QCC summoned a ’33 year old man’, understood to be retired Gold Coast Titans rugby league player Ashley Harrison, to appear in court next month. The QCC also summoned a ’28 year old man who is currently overseas’, understood to be Steve Michaels (pictured, left), whom Hull FC signed from Brisbane Broncos. ‘It is expected that this warrant will be executed on the 28 year old man upon his return to Australia’, read today’s QCC statement.

A total of eight players, all of whom have connections to National Rugby League club Gold Coast Titans, have been summoned to appear in court charged on charges of possession or supply of cocaine. The other players are Jamie Dowling, Beau Falloon, Greg Bird, David Taylor, Kalifa Faifai Loa and Karmichael Hunt, who plays for Super Rugby (union) club Queensland Reds. All current players have been suspended by their clubs.

‘The CCC has decided it is in the public interest to confirm that based on evidence currently available to the CCC, it does not expect to make any further arrests of current or former sportspeople as a result of its ongoing investigation into the cocaine trafficking syndicate’, read today’s statement. ‘However, consistent with all law enforcement investigations, if new information comes to hand in relation to the syndicate under investigation the CCC may consider further arrests.’

In a statement issued earlier this week, the QCC pointed out that the rugby players have been charged with possession or supply of cocaine only. ‘The CCC’s public statements have indicated this investigation is focused on a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating in South-East Queensland’, it read. ‘At no stage has the CCC alleged any individuals charged in the last week have been trafficking cocaine or that there is a syndicate operating primarily in sporting organisations’.