Wyong had lost the Intrust Super Premiership grand final to Penrith earlier in the week. In the statement of facts, the police alleged Nikorima's agent, Isaac Moses, and Tilda Khoshaba, a player-welfare coach and a partner of Sports Wellbeing International, were then contacted about Keighran's role in Nikorima's appeal against the suspension. Nikorima sent a text message to Keighran and another player asking if they would admit to spiking his drink during the Mad Monday party to help him avoid getting "sacked" for a "second strike". In the message, he also offered to "pay up". Chain of evidence: A trail of communications linked Jayden Nikorima and Brad Keighran. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Keighran agreed, despite not even attending the Mad Monday party. He later confessed to working as a plumber while the rest of the squad were having their end-of-the-season drinks.

The court heard Khoshaba then drafted a document for Keighran in which he admitted to spiking Nikorima's drink. It was then sent to Nikorima via email with a request for Keighran to sign it and fill in the address where the incident took place. Loading Two days later Khoshaba sent a second email to Nikorima and Moses stating she had drafted a letter from Keighran for review. It was the same day Nikorima lodged an appeal with the NRL Integrity Unit over his 12-match ban. Police allege that on November 3 Keighran received a bank deposit of $2000 from Nikorima. Four days later he signed the statutory declaration in front of a Justice of the Peace, claiming to have tampered with Nikorima's drink. He later told police when interviewed in May this year that he had only "skimmed over" the statutory declaration and knew its contents to be largely false.

Nikorima deposited a further $2000 into Keighran's account after he signed the statutory declaration, a document he used as evidence at his NRL Appeals Tribunal hearing a fortnight later. But the case was adjourned for 24 hours at the request of the NRL Appeals Tribunal for Keighran to appear in person. Police claim that night Nikorima made numerous phone calls and sent a text message to Keighran, which in part read "we have got 20 hours to try to get a phone call from you to confirm our stat dec or we are ducked man". Keighran was with family on an overseas cruise and only saw the missed calls and message from Nikorima upon his return. Nikorima withdrew his appeal the next day after his original hearing, even though he had also tendered his own statutory declaration signed and declared in Queensland, an apology letter he had written to then Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly and another letter from Khoshaba.

... we have got 20 hours to try to get a phone call from you to confirm our stat dec or we are ducked man. Nikorima text message to Keighran It was only when Channel Seven aired a report about the Nikorima case in April that a Roos official reported the matter to police. The Roos are a feeder side to the Roosters, this year's NRL minor premiers. Keighran agreed to be interviewed the following month and police tendered that he was remorseful for his actions, but didn't understand the severity of the situation. Magistrate Peter Feather told Keighran in Wyong Court on Wednesday his charge was "more serious than occasioning actual bodily harm, it's more serious than stealing, it's more serious than common assault, it's more serious than drink driving charges" and was a result of a "deliberate" action. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

But he added Keighran was "unlikely to re-offend" and said: "If I was looking at this young man away from the matter, I would describe him as a fine young man." Loading Nikorima, 21, had tried to resurrect his career by training with Queensland Intrust Super Premiership side Redcliffe earlier this season. Redcliffe are the feeder team for the Brisbane Broncos, for whom Nikorima's older brother Kodi plays. Kodi will play halfback for Wayne Bennett's side in their NRL elimination final against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. Keighran will be assessed for an intensive correction order.

The case has been adjourned to October 31.