Roosters' Friend faces assault claims

The rugby league career of Sydney Roosters bad boy Jake Friend is in jeopardy after
he allegedly struck a female in a nightclub fight involving teammates Mitchell
Pearce and Sandor Earl.
Police are investigating claims Friend punched Brisbane woman Kristy Bradley, the
niece of respected ABC rugby league radio commentator David Morrow and sister of
former NRL player Nick Bradley, during a scuffle at Tank nightclub around 3am
Sunday.
Friend has denied the allegations to coach Brad Fittler, however several members of
Morrow's family witnessed the incident and are adamant the Roosters hooker struck
the 31-year-old who had to be treated by ambulance officers at the scene.
Friend was out with teammates celebrating the club's first NRL win in seven weeks, a
19-12 defeat of Cronulla.
The incident comes just days after he was convicted of a drink driving offence,
fined $850 and banned from driving for 18 months.
Friend's high-range drink-driving offence earned a two-week suspension by the NRL
and a $10,000 fine from his club.
His latest indiscretion, if proven, could result in his being sacked by the club and
possibly deregistered by the NRL.
Roosters chief executive Steve Noyce confirmed his players were involved in an
incident, but wouldn't comment on the specifics of the allegations.
"It's right that there was an altercation at Tank nightclub and a couple of our guys
were there, after that I would still like to get the right information before I go
any further," said Noyce.
But Fittler launched a defence of Friend, believing the 19-year-old is innocent and
had tried to break up a fight that started when the other party claimed the players
threw ice.
"I've spoken to the boys and they said they haven't thrown any ice," Fittler told
the BigPond Sports Weekend.
"A person then came over to the table who was an aggressor towards one of our
younger blokes Sandor Earl ... and apparently he (the aggressor) threw the first
punch, he (Earl) got up there was a couple of punches and a bit of a scuffle and a
girl was in the middle trying to break it up.
"From there Jake and Junior (Pearce) have done nothing, they've been towed out in
wrist holds, head against the wall out the front.
"They had a bit of a dispute with the bouncers about their treatment because they
had nothing to do with anything that went on inside, that's the story as far as I
know it.
"We have to be very careful and not drag people's names through the mud so heavily
... it's very nice to throw the word alleged around and people should be accountable
for what they say," he said.
"If they did nothing wrong and a bloke confronted them and it ended up there was a
bit of a scuffle ... it has been happening for four thousand years and it'll happen
for the next four thousand years.
"Hopefully this comes out clear and hopefully the girl is OK if she did cop a hit in
amongst that scuffle."
The Roosters are assisting police with their inquiries.