'Cody who?': Fight footage linked to alleged blackmail of Cody Walker emerges
The NRL integrity unit plans to interview Cody Walker on Monday afternoon after footage of the shirtless Souths star emerged of him kicking a man in the chest.
Walker alleges he received a phone call about 7pm on Saturday and was told the video would be released to the media unless he paid $20,000.
The Souths playmaker contacted club officials first thing Sunday about the alleged blackmail attempt and the club advised him to report it to police and the NRL.
The footage (above) that surfaced on Monday shows Walker flying in from the left and karate-kicking another shirtless man who was about to engage in a fight with a third person.
Walker is later seen marching down an empty street before swinging around and threatening to fight the man again, only for friends to stand in his way and drag him from the scene.
The footage is alleged to have taken place in Casino, his home town in the state's far north, last October.
Cody Walker will be interviewed by the NRL Integrity Unit on Monday afternoon. Credit:Getty Images
Walker's manager Matt Rose spent time with police on Monday and confirmed to the Herald it was Walker in the video.
The NRL said it planned to speak with Walker, who was cleared to return to training with Souths.
No punishment is expected to be announced on Monday as the integrity unit waits to see what action, if any, the police take.
It is the third off-field incident involving the Redfern club in recent weeks after Latrell Mitchell featured in a photo that breached social-distancing rules and James Roberts admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility to deal with depression and anxiety. Mitchell was also charged with firearms offences.
During the grainy footage of Walker, a voice is overheard yelling the player's name.
"What his name?" a man asks.
"Cody, he's the one that kicked ya," a woman replies.
"Cody who?"
"Cody Walker, he's the one that kicked ya."
Souths said in a statement on Sunday: "The South Sydney Rabbitohs are aware of an incident involving player Cody Walker which took place in northern New South Wales in October 2019.
"The NRL’s integrity unit have been informed. At no stage has Cody Walker been the subject of a police enquiry in relation to this incident.
"The Rabbitohs will be making no further comment on this matter at this stage as it is part of an ongoing police enquiry instigated by Cody Walker himself."
Souths are scheduled to face bitter rivals the Sydney Roosters at Central Coast Stadium or Bankwest Stadium on Friday week.