Brandon Smith

Coates was being interviewed on the field by Melbourne’s media manager following the club’s thumping Anzac Day win over the Warriors.

Smith walked up to Coates and said “let’s go” followed by what was reportedly a pidgin English word, which triggered a chuckle from Coates.

The 25-year-old took to Instagram to “apologise for how some of the comments have been received” not long after the podcast interview blew up.

And on Tuesday, he told 9 News that he does “regret how it happened.”

After the Storm bowed out of the finals, Smith, along with two of his Storm teammates, Cameron Munster and Chris Lewis were caught on video in a room where there was a white substance on the table.

The trio were fined and will miss the opening round of next season.

Smith detailed a wild drinking story involving Dale Finucane and said club legend Cameron Smith “loves a beer”.

It was all inside the 56-minute YKTR Sports podcast which has landed Smith in hot water this week.

That means from Monday, players who come off contract at the end of 2022 can start negotiating with rival clubs for 2023 and beyond.

There’s a name of star players that fall into that category like Kalyn Ponga, Clint Gutherson, Harry Grant, Cody Walker and Angus Crichton, but they are all a very good chance of agreeing to a new deal with their existing club.

The same can’t be said though for several other big-name players, who have either publicly confirmed they will go to market, or have been strongly linked to a new club.

With the countdown to November 1 only one week away, rival clubs are sharpening their pencils to make a play to land the signature of one of the NRL’s most versatile forwards.

Smith’s agent Stan Martin intends to email all 16 NRL clubs on Monday directing them to submit their best offer for the Melbourne Storm forward.

And Smith’s post-season one match suspension and $15,000 fine for the white powder video has done nothing to dissuade rival clubs from lining up to sign the Storm star.

Walsh is facing a $5000 fine and two-match suspension while Smith, Munster and Lewis have had one-game bans and fines varying in accordance with their salary proposed.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the players in question had let everyone down with their alleged actions.

"I understand that players have endured a long season under strict protocols. However, there is no excuse for the behaviour we have seen over the past week. The players have let themselves, their clubs and the rugby league community down," he said in a statement.

The video, which has been seen by foxsports.com.au after being circulated on social media, shows Smith wearing sunglasses near what appears to be a white substance on the table of an apartment.

Smith is seen rolling up a banknote and picking up a credit card next to the white substance in the footage, while Munster is standing in the background among at least six people in the hotel room.

Now a second video has emerged of Munster dancing on a table and clutching what appears to be a small package containing white powder in his left hand.

The 20-year-old joined the Storm after two seasons for the Cowboys in the Holden Cup where he emerged as one of the most destructive dummy-halves in the competition.

The nuggety No.9 was a revelation in North Queensland in 2016 scoring 18 tries and setting up 21 more in a breakout season that saw him named in the Holden Cup Team of the Year despite plenty of stiff competition. 

Having played rugby league since he was a three-year-old at the Waiheke Rams, the Junior Kiwis star is keen to knuckle down and fight his way into the Storm's star-studded NRL side.