FORMER NRL player Martin Kennedy has fronted court over his involvement in a sophisticated wildlife smuggling ring indicating he will plead guilty.

Kennedy, 28, who is on bail, appeared before Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday after the Commonwealth prosecutor served him with fresh charges of illegally importing and exporting native and internationally endangered animals last month.

Kennedy was expected to be committed for trial today but his solicitor Bryan Wrench asked the court to adjourn the matter because he had just informed the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions his client intended to plead guilty.

media_camera Former NRL Player Martin Kennedy leaves Sydney Downing Centre Court today.

media_camera The former Roosters star was arrested at his Bondi Beach home.

“Essentially the representations are that my client will enter a plea of guilty but it will take some time to for the commonwealth to reply to them,” Mr Wrench told the court.

Kennedy is accused of committing 41 offences following a federal police raid on his Bondi Beach home in March. Police found close to $100,000 in cash and a number of snakes following investigations into an illegal reptile trafficking ring.

The former Sydney Roosters and Broncos player was arrested at his home during the raids.

The Daily Telegraph understands Kennedy’s legal team want the 41 separate charges wrapped up into one charge before formally entering a plea of guilty.

Magistrate David Price granted the adjournment with Kennedy scheduled to reappear before the Downing Centre Local Court in October.

media_camera Police take a handcuffed Martin Kennedy into custody.

Once a rising NRL star, Kennedy was last year suspended from playing for two years and nine months for breaching the league’s anti-doping policy.

Now he is fighting to stay out of jail as he deals with charges of illegally importing and exporting numerous packages containing live animals to and from overseas.

These packages contained Chinese softshell turtles, alligator snapping turtles, snakehead fish, sugar gliders, freshwater stingrays and the internationally endangered veiled chameleons.

Police will allege some of these packages arrived in Australia from Thailand while others were being prepared for shipment overseas.

It will also be alleged that between July and October 2016 investigators seized six packages bound for Sweden containing more than 40 native Australian shingleback lizards.

media_camera A number of snakes were seized at Kennedy’s Bondi residence.

media_camera Federal Police seized large amounts of cash and evidence.

The Daily Telegraph understands a number of individuals are involved in the smuggling racket, where rare reptiles are caught in the Outback and then mailed overseas.

The crews are recruited by syndicates who go to locations such as the Kimberleys and then mail the reptiles to Sydney, where they are sold on the black market.

A source previously told The Daily Telegraph a single shingleback lizard is reportedly worth up to $400 locally, and more overseas, while a breeding pair can get thousands overseas.

Kennedy is charged with 24 counts of breaching the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, 16 offences contrary to the Biosecurity Act 2015 — and one charge under the criminal code for possessing money suspected to be proceeds of crime.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.