A celebrated former NRL sprinter has been exonerated from accusations of drug possession and holding suspected stolen money, as police dropped the charges against him at the last moment.

James Roberts, 32, who has played over 160 NRL matches across five different clubs, entered a plea of not guilty concerning the possession of an illegal drug and suspected stolen items.

Police allege he had 0.3 grams of cannabis and $1400 in suspected stolen cash when he was pulled over on the morning of July 30, 2024.

However, the allegations against the 2015 Dally M center of the year were dismissed by authorities during a court session where he was meant to dispute these claims this morning.

Outside court, his lawyer Najee Makhoul said there had been no evidence to link the former NRL player to the offences.

Police assumed Roberts’ wad of cash was illegally obtained, but that was “just not the case at all”, Makhoul said.

The retired footballer received cash payments for NRL outings and appearances, and might withdraw funds from his bank, his lawyer said.

“That was the case here, and was just a wrong charge laid for the wrong reasons, and unfortunately he faced the consequences as a result,” Makhoul said.

The small amount of cannabis likewise couldn’t be linked to Roberts because it had been found in his passenger’s bag.

Roberts, who did not appear in court today, is looking forward to putting the ordeal behind him, Makhoul said.

“It’s a very fortunate outcome,” he said.

“(Roberts) is relieved, relieved for it to be done. He wants to continue with his life and move on.”

Nicknamed “Jimmy the Jet” for his speed, Roberts played for the Wests Tigers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Penrith Panthers, Gold Coast Titans and Brisbane Broncos across 12 seasons in the NRL.

He appeared in all three games for NSW in the team’s successful 2018 State of Origin campaign and played for the Indigenous All Stars and City Origin before retiring in 2022.