Warrant issued for arrest of Cronulla Sharks star Siosifa Talakai after failing to appear in court
Cronulla Sharks star Siosifa Talakai has had a run-in with the law after failing to appear in court on a minor driving charge.
Police & Courts
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A magistrate issued a warrant for the arrest of Cronulla’s star centre Siosifa Talakai after he failed to show up to court to answer a minor driving charge on Friday.
Talakai was due to front Sutherland Local Court on Friday after highway patrol officers charged the NRL player with driving with an expired licence on Captain Cook Drive at Caringbah on May 13.
However, the 25-year-old was a no-show when his case was called just after 12.30pm.
Magistrate Roger Prowse then issued an arrest warrant for Talakai, despite the driving charge carrying a maximum fine of $2200.
When approached by The Saturday Telegraph, Sharks management knew nothing about the court case but sprang into action, grounding Talakai from flying to Brisbane with the rest of the team ahead of Sunday’s clash with the New Zealand Warriors and sending a legal team to try and have the decision overturned.
The court reconvened on Friday afternoon and Magistrate Hugh Donnelly agreed to revoke the warrant and adjourned the case to June 23.
Sharks media manager Rob Willis labelled the missed court date “an oversight” on Talakai’s behalf, saying the player “hadn’t realised” he had been due to attend court that day.
He confirmed Talakai had not disclosed the charge to the club but did not say whether Talakai would face repercussions.
He was also unable to provide any comment about the facts of the case or indicate if Talakai intended to plead guilty when it did return to court.
With 54 NRL games to his name, Talakai has experienced a breakout season in 2022, with the powerful centre on the cusp of a NSW State of Origin appearance.
One of the hardest-running players in the game, Talakai is pivotal to the Sharks surge up the NRL ladder this season.
The Mascot Jets junior was last night due to travel to Brisbane on a late flight to rejoin his teammates.
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