Brett Finch arrest: The rise and then stunning decline of an NRL star

Brett Finch was a larrikin, a grand final and Origin star who had it all and lost it. We detail Finch’s rise to stardom and a decline that culminated in his arrest.

Brett Finch was once an NRL star with the world at his feet but is now one of eight men arrested as part of a police investigation into the alleged transmission of child abuse material.

Finch, widely recognised as one of rugby league’s larrikins, rose to NRL stardom after making his debut as a teenager for the Canberra Raiders back in 1999.

He would go on to play a total 270 games for the Raiders, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm.

Finch also played 60 games for the Wigan Warriors in the English Super League.

But his life seemed to unravel post his retirement from rugby league in 2013.

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Brett Finch with the premiership trophy after the 2009 NRL grand final.

After he retired from the game Finch had a number of lucrative roles as a NRL commentator, but he struggled with substance abuse issues and a gambling addiction which saw his life after football spiral out of control.

Only days before his arrest on Tuesday, Finch revealed his wife had left him as he struggled to overcome his addictions.

“I’d go to my account, it’ll be minus 10 dollars … eighteen months earlier I had hundreds of thousands, you know. My first thought is where can I pick up, where can I get another one from. It’s taken everything from me but I still want another one.

Finch lost two Grand Finals playing with the Roosters. Picture: Mark Evans

BRETT FINCH’S CAREER TIMELINE

1981 - Born in Maitland as the son of former St George star, and later referees boss, Robert Finch.

1999 - Makes NRL debut as a 17-year-old with the Canberra Raiders, before winning the club’s Rookie of the Year award

2003 - Joins the defending premiers, the Sydney Roosters, and goes on to play in two losing grand finals.

2006 - Called in as a last-minute replacement for NSW for the opening State of Origin clash, and kicks the winning field goal.

2007 - Switches teams again, this time signing with cross-town rivals Parramatta

2009 - Makes a move to the Melbourne Storm - playing in the 2009 grand final win over Parramatta, which was later stripped from the Storm for salary cap breaches.

2011-2012 - Plays sixty games for Wigan in the UK Super League

2013 - Returns to Australia for a second stint with Melbourne, retiring at the end of the season

2014 - Embarks on a post-playing career as a sideline reporter with Channel 9

2016 - Finch is stood down from his Channel 9 duties to deal with personal issues and admits hitting ‘rock bottom’ while battling drug addiction issues

2017 - Begins working with Fox Sports as a colour commentator

2019 - Finch is removed from a domestic flight after a medical incident, and later checks into a mental health facility

2021 - Launches a podcast, Brett Finch Uncensored, describing in detail his fall from grace as an NRL player in retirement

2021 - Finch is arrested and charged with five counts of sharing child abuse material

Finch was arrested at his Sans Souci home on Tuesday morning. Picture: NSW Police

“It’s ridiculous, I’ve just lost everything. I sat there … and not that I ever contemplated suicide but I sat there and said ‘this is not living, this is existing’. I don’t have a dollar to my name, not one. I’ve got no job now, my missus has left,” Finch told Turn Up The Talk Podcast.

In 2016, Finch hit ‘rock bottom’ while working at Channel 9 and was stood down from the role.

“[I] pretend to wake up, put my radio shirt on because I was working for 2GB Continuous Call at the time … I’ve already called Ray [Hadley] to tell him I was sick,” Finch said on Turn Up The Talk.

“Get in the car, go straight to my dealer’s house.

“My missus is from Melbourne, she’s not going to be listening to the radio, you know.

“I’m thinking, Finchy, you magnificent bastard, you’ve come up with a great. you know, I’m just going to go get on it all day.”

Brett Finch played 51 games for the Eels.

After losing two grand finals with the Roosters in 2003 and 2004, Finch helped guide the Storm to grand final victory against the Eels in 2009, setting-up two tries. The Storm were later stripped of that title for significant breaches against the NRL salary cap.

While he only played three games in the Origin arena for the NSW, Finch orchestrated one of the Blues’ most famous victories against Queensland. He was called into the 2006 series on the eve of game one and went on to score a try, set-up two others and slot the winning field goal.

Brett Finch played three Origin games for the Blues. Picture: Michael Ross

Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said in a police media statement: “We will allege that each of the men arrested by detectives over the past month expressed desires to engage in sexual activity with children, and in some cases, attempted to access child abuse material from other users of the service. Finch’s lawyer Paul McGirr said it was not alleged Finch had shared any child abuse material.

“And there’s no evidence from the police to suggest otherwise,” McGirr said.

“We don’t know who’s making those alleged comments. At this stage, it is a defended matter – there is nothing more I can add. All we have at this stage are scant details.

“It would be foolish for anyone to comment or pass judgment on Brett or the matter.”

Finch was granted conditional police bail to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday, January 11 2022.

Originally published as Brett Finch arrest: The rise and then stunning decline of an NRL star