Brandon Smith: Footy star breaks down as he reveals how those close to him paid the price when he was caught up in the white powder video scandal

Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith fought back tears as he described how his mother, niece and nephew paid the price when he was caught up in a white powder video scandal.

The New Zealand international was involved in the infamous incident with then-Storm teammates Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis after their side crashed out of the 2021 finals.

A leaked video showed them in a hotel room with a mysterious white substance on a coffee table. Smith was seen sitting at the table with a rolled up note and a card.

The players were all suspended for one match and fined.

Brandon Smith and his Storm teammates Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis have all been sanctioned following their infamous white powder scandal in 2021.

Smith recently opened up about this tumultuous time in his life while appearing on The Keegan and Company podcast.

“It sucks, bro, it sucks,” said Smith, who revealed he first heard the news while attending the Dally M Awards.

‘But not for me. It sucked for my mom – I wanted her to enjoy her night and then my brother, what really struck me was that my niece and nephew were being bullied at school because of something I had done.

“You know, I fucking did that, and hearing it from my brother and just seeing that brother shit was definitely something that made my heart hurt.

“Being an idiot has caused so much heartache to your family and loved ones…like letting them down is the ultimate fear for me, and when it affects the people around you, that’s when it really hits me .”

Smith also found himself in a sticky situation at the Storm for saying the team had a strong drinking culture.

Smith (pictured playing for the Storm) said the impact of the white powder scandal on his family really hit him.

The star forward said the consequences of his actions “really hurt his heart.”

“At the Storm, drinking is a big part of the culture,” he said on the YKTR podcast.

“As a football player, I want to be remembered as the c*** who went out there and tried. (Former players say) Damn, I love watching you play, you go all out.

“At the Storm, brother, drinking is a big part of the culture.

“We had a beer pong competition at my house and Scott Drinkwater, we were playing beer pong, Dale (Finucane) was blind and Scott kept pouring vodka into his beer mugs and he drank a bottle of vodka in 32 minutes, like a whole bottle and he was so excited.

“He doesn’t realize how strong he is, he grabs you and manhandles you and 20 minutes later he has his shoe and he’s throwing up in his shoe.”

Smith apologized for the comments and was slapped by coach Craig Bellamy and Melbourne football manager Frank Ponissi.

“The drinking problem…we’ve been in the top four for seven years in a row, and that doesn’t happen if you’re a team of drunks,” Bellamy said.

In the second round of the 2022 season, Smith was accused of mocking Souths star Latrell Mitchell by impersonating his basket celebration after the Storm’s golden point victory, although he did not did not play in the match due to injury.

Later that season, he was investigated by the NRL for allegedly using a sexual slang term when he interrupted teammate Xavier Coates during an Anzac Day interview.