Jamil Hopoate

NRL star Will Hopoate's offer to free brother from jail denied after charge over large-scale cocaine supply

Jamil Hopoate, who is an off-contract NRL player, was charged with large-scale commercial drug supply on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the alleged importation of cocaine with a street value of AU$154.2 million (NZ$165.6m).

Police allege Hopoate ran from police with an 8kg substance in his backpack, which he threw over a fence into a nearby backyard in Mascot.

The 26-year-old appeared via audiovisual link at Sydney’s Central Local Court on Wednesday and wiped away tears as his daughter waved to him through the court’s cameras.

Hopoate lashes out at NRL over treatment of son

Jamil served nine months of an 18 months jail sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company in 2014.

Hopoate was released earlier this year and has been playing reserve grade for Manly.

Hopoate Snr posted to Facebook on Wednesday, saying the NRL’s integrity unit was stopping Jamil from playing first grade this weekend.

“So my son Jamil misses out on debuting for the Eagles this week cause the NRL integrity unit said he’s not allowed,” he wrote.