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Ex-NRL player Jamil Hopoate reveals ‘booze turns me into a monster’ in tell-all interview

A former NRL player has revealed how his descent into drugs and alcohol culminated in a dramatic fall from grace in an exclusive interview.

Jamil Hopoate’s tell-all interview

Former promising NRL player Jamil Hopoate has told of how his descent into a hell of drugs and alcohol culminated in a dramatic fall from grace that ended his professional career, confessing: “Booze turns me into a monster – I don’t know how to say no”.

In an emotional interview, the son of ex-rugby league star John told The Daily Telegraph that his sacking from the Manly Sea Eagles’ squad after an alcohol-fuelled fight that saw him jailed seven years ago signalled the start of the demise of his career and episodes of “blind drunk” booze, cocaine and gambling binges.

Hopoate, who is on bail and living at his family’s northern beaches home, faced Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday with the support of his father after being arrested over allegedly accessing a truck linked to a massive $154-million cocaine haul at Port Botany in May 2021.

Defence lawyer Mahmoud Abbas confirmed to the court that Hopoate’s matter had now been “resolved”, but he said both he and prosecutors wanted a short adjournment so they could work out some remaining issues on the facts of the case.

Hopoate was also recently in court over an unrelated matter when he pushed his partner, Shae Beathe, during a drunken fight in a Port Macquarie hotel car park.

Former NRL player Jamil Hopoate and his partner Shea Beathe with daughter Lisa. Picture: Richard Dobson
Former NRL player Jamil Hopoate and his partner Shea Beathe with daughter Lisa. Picture: Richard Dobson
Hopoate during his playing days with the Broncos.
Hopoate during his playing days with the Broncos.

“I couldn’t remember anything until someone told me the next day, when I get drunk the autopilot in me is not a nice person,” the 27-year-old said of the incident 16 months ago when he was off-contract with the Brisbane Broncos.

“I drink until I drop; alcohol is the devil to me, I get black outs, I’m either zero or one hundred, sober or pissed,” he said.

“I drank a lot that day and was losing on the pokies, I was trying to win it back and wanted money from my partner, but she rightly wouldn’t give it to me, we were arguing.

“I pushed her … it was shit of me.

“When I’m on the piss, I sometimes take charlie (cocaine) too, I never crave it when I’m sober, I spend whatever money I have on me on the day, it could be hundreds of dollars or thousands over the course of three days.

“Drink turns me into an asshole.”

Ms Beathe, who is mother to one of Hopoate’s two daughters, is standing by him.

Jamil Hopoate has the support of his partner Shae Beathe.
Jamil Hopoate has the support of his partner Shae Beathe.
John Hopoate (right) supports his son during a court date last year at Central Local Court.
John Hopoate (right) supports his son during a court date last year at Central Local Court.

Hopoate was convicted of a charge of common assault against her last October and he received a 12-month intensive correction order, which includes requirements to perform 250 hours of community service and also to abstain from alcohol.

He has since not been re-signed by the Broncos.

Hopoate was considered a promising rookie, but he first turned to the bottle when he was 15 and was eventually sacked by Parramatta Eels’ under 20s squad for drink-related incidents, including turning up drunk to training when he was 17.

The brother of former Canterbury Bulldogs top player Will said the pressure to compete with his NRL successful football family meant he had suffered a decade of depression.

“I went to jail for a year when I was 19, I can’t even remember the fight, I was blind drunk, I’ve been drinking since I was 15, I’m the black sheep of the family,” he said.

Jamil Hopoate is speaking out about his substance problems.
Jamil Hopoate is speaking out about his substance problems.

“Jail threw all my football plans off, my eldest daughter was two weeks old at the time, I was worried I messed up my career, there was pressure to play NRL, I knew then I wasn’t going to be dad or Will.

“I pulled myself up after I was sacked by the Parramatta Eels but after jail time I started drinking again, I was boozing away my sorrows.

“I was born a happy person, but the pressures of life have made me depressed and I turn to drink,” he said.

“I was angry at the world for things that didn’t happen for me, Will just walked into the NRL, it was harder for me.

“The drinking culture in footy is massive … it‘s hard living in my father’s and brother’s shadows, my brother Will is such a goodie two shoes, I sometimes play up to be different, I don’t mean to, I’m just wired differently.”

Hopoate said it has taken years of counselling for him to accept he cannot stop at one drink and has now become a teetotaller, a habit he finds challenging when with his football playing mates and at family functions.

“The Aussie culture is so big on drinking, I’m around temptation and alcohol all the time, I feel I’m missing out, but I have to do this for me, for my family,” he said.

“I’m a father of two beautiful daughters and I have to set an example, for years I was shit dad, I was absent, sleeping off hangovers all weekend and not being there for them.

“I don’t want to be that guy, but I’m in a better place now. I don‘t drink. I’ve hung up my party boots.

“I’ve turned off the stop button and learned the hard way how to say no,” he said.

In court prosecutors also confirmed Hopoate’s commercial drug supply matter had been resolved except for those issues with the facts.

Magistrate David Price adjourned the matter until May 5.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/exnrl-player-jamil-hopoate-reveals-booze-turns-me-into-a-monster-in-tellall-interview/news-story/47325194828b396e344cddc6ec9c2668