Former NRL playmaker Darrell Trindall has admitted he was high on ice after Highway Patrol officers spotted him driving erratically near Singleton on the New England Highway in September 2025. Court documents describe hazard lights flashing, waving at passing
For officers on the New England Highway, the drive didn’t look like a minor detour. It looked like a man fighting to stay in control.
In September 2025. Highway Patrol officers observed former NRL playmaker Darrell Trindall driving 30km/h below the speed limit in an emergency stopping lane with his hazard lights flashing. The court documents before the Downing Centre Local Court described a bizarre scene: “His arm was hanging out of the open window. waving at passing cars.” They also recorded that the vehicle was “accelerating and braking in an erratic manner.”.
Trindall, 54, would later plead guilty to driving under the influence of drugs after the incident near Singleton, west of Newcastle.
When officers eventually stopped the vehicle, police said Trindall appeared heavily affected by drugs. The agreed facts stated he was confused, distracted and under the influence of methamphetamine. Officers noted pinpoint pupils and sweaty skin. along with behaviour described as “highly erratic and easily distracted.” The observations included “exaggerating gestures” such as sticking out his tongue and fidgeting constantly. His speech was fast and jumbled. “difficult to understand. ” and he was unable to keep a conversation going without becoming distracted or confused.
In his later admission to police, Trindall said he had travelled overnight from Sydney to Tamworth and had been smoking methamphetamine during the drive. The agreed facts state he smoked an unknown quantity of methamphetamine “ice” worth about $100.
Drug testing returned positive readings for amphetamine and methylamphetamine. A pharmacologist determined Trindall was under the influence of ice to the extent his driving ability was impaired.
The court sentenced Trindall to a 12-month community corrections order, fined $750 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.
Trindall’s time in rugby league has made him a familiar name for decades. He played 192 first-grade games across spells with South Sydney, St Helens, Sheffield Eagles and Canterbury after debuting in 1990. He captained the Rabbitohs in 1997 and 1998 and represented the Indigenous Australian side at the 1992 Pacific Cup.
Outside the field, his struggles have been publicly documented for more than two decades. In 2022, the NSW Supreme Court heard Trindall had battled meth addiction and alcoholism after retiring from rugby league. His lawyer told the court the former halfback suffered repeated relapses following the death of his mother in 2020.
At the Downing Centre Local Court, Trindall’s broader legal troubles have also been laid out. His lawyer. David Ryan. made those earlier revelations as Trindall faced four charges relating to allegations of domestic violence and driving a motor vehicle while his licence was suspended. Trindall sought bail after pleading not guilty to all charges: one count of driving a motor vehicle while licence suspended. two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. one count of stalk/intimidate intending to fear physical harm (domestic) and one count of common assault.
Darrell Trindall ice methamphetamine driving under the influence Highway Patrol New England Highway Singleton rugby league South Sydney Rabbitohs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs