Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley will only serve half of his club-imposed suspension in the NRL season, freeing him to return to the field earlier than anticipated.
According to various reports, including from The Sydney Morning Herald, the 10-game ban handed down will include three Ashes matches and two pre-season trials.
Radley opted out of playing for England following the cocaine scandal that engulfed him and the club late in the season, also involving former teammate Brandon Smith.
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The 27-year-old was not charged by police or accused of any wrongdoing, but the Roosters had previously expressed their strict anti-drug policy and were close to tearing up the remainder of Radley's contract after he brought the club into disrepute.
As a result, he was banned for 10 matches without pay by the Tricolours and also fined $30,000 that was donated to St Vincent's Hospital for cancer research.
Radley will be free to play in round six after Trent Robinson and Nick Politis agreed to allow the Ashes series and pre-season games to count towards the suspension.
The NRL did not hand down a punishment to Radley due to the severity of the club's sanction, which they labelled as the biggest in their history.
Roosters general manager of football Mitch Aubusson was quoted by News Corp to explain the decision to allow Radley back early.
"Rads was going to be picked for England and he was desperate to play," he said.
"He made the decision to put the club first and withdraw from selection.
"Plus, he missed out on getting paid for playing in the Test matches. He made the call to do it for the club. That's what the Roosters mean to him.
"No matter what way you look at it, it's still a harsh penalty and a fair whack."
Radley has been a staple of the Bondi-based outfit since his debut in 2017, playing in two successful grand final triumphs and pulling on the famous kit 161 times.
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