Test stars Bird, Taylor suspended over Aussie rugby drugs saga

Gold Coast Titans said Sunday they have stood down Australian internationals Greg Bird and Dave Taylor as a drugs scandal engulfs the National Rugby League club.
Test and State of Origin forwards Bird and Taylor were both served notices on Sunday to appear in court on drug-related charges, in relation to the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (QCCC) investigation into a drug trafficking syndicate in the southeast of the state.
Titans chief executive Graham Annesley, who stood down two other of the club's players Jamie Dowling and Beau Falloon on Friday, said the representative duo were the latest players embroiled in the drugs controversy.
Dowling and Falloon are both facing charges of supply of cocaine following the same investigation, which has also entangled Queensland Reds Super Rugby star Karmichael Hunt.
The Reds said former Australian rugby league international Hunt has been served with a notice to appear in court on March 5.
Titans winger Kalifa Faifai Loa has also been stood down after receiving a notice to appear on Sunday, while former Titan Jamie Vickery is also facing charges.
"Earlier today I was advised that three more of our players -- Greg Bird, David Taylor and Kalifa Faifai Loa have also been issued with notices to appear in court in relation to drug-related charges," Annesley told reporters.
"Consistent with the position that the club took on Friday, the three players will be immediately stood down from all playing and training duties."
The QCCC released a statement on Sunday confirming four men had been served with notices to appear in court on counts of supplying drugs.
Bird, Taylor, Faifai Loa and Vickery will all appear in Southport Magistrates Court on March 9, the statement said.
Annesley said he understood Sunday's notices would be the last to be served on the club's players but added he could give no guarantee of that.
"I'm not getting a lot of information from the authorities, I'm cautious about this, but to the best of my knowledge this is it," he said.
Annesley indicated the players facing court action also faced the real possibility of having their contracts with the club torn up.
"The club will recover, I have no qualms about that," he said.
Source: AFP