Deleted: John Orchard's tweet was removed soon after being posted.
Former Sydney Roosters doctor John Orchard has launched a scathing attack on the club's fitness guru Keegan Smith, blaming him for the blood-testing scandal that threatened to derail their premiership season.
As revealed by Fairfax Media in September, the tricolours sacked sports nutrition company Nubodi after six players' blood tests showed elevated readings for the banned substance human growth hormone. The results were found on the phone of an alleged organised crime figure.
Orchard, who ended his 16-year link with the Roosters after their premiership triumph, tweeted: ''@KeeganSH In all your self promotion, would you apologise to the boys whose HGH you tested forcing them onto the front page of SMH?''
John Orchard. Photo: Supplied
The post was deleted shortly afterwards. The Roosters engaged the services of Nubodi without the knowledge of Orchard, who was on leave at the time.
Nubodi Group boss Sean Carolan, a paleo-diet advocate, declined to comment on the latest developments but has previously said he was introduced to the eastern suburbs club through prop Martin Kennedy.
Orchard, a respected medico now employed by Cricket NSW, would not elaborate on his social media posting.
''I deleted the tweet and don't wish to comment further,'' Orchard said.
However, it is understood the incident was a key reason behind Orchard's decision to end his association with the premiers.
While Orchard intimated Smith was responsible for the blood tests,
the premiers opted to retain his services while parting company with Lachlan Penfold, their head of performance and science. Sources have claimed Penfold was the ''scapegoat'' for the testing regime. The players' levels were normal when they were retested.
Asked if he was responsible for engaging the services of Nubodi, Penfold said: ''No, I was not the person who brought in Sean Carolan or Nubodi to the club.''
Carolan was reportedly paid $15,000 for his services.
That fee was meant to cover the cost of pathology, which was undertaken by Douglass Hanly Moir. Fairfax Media was told the company was left out of pocket because it was not paid by Carolan for its services.
The firm's chief executive, Dr Colin Goldschmidt, said he was not in a position to comment because of client confidentiality.
Orchard's tweet also had a dig at Smith's profile, which has grown following the Roosters' premiership run. Smith has penned a series of articles about his revolutionary methods and is featured in the latest issue of Rugby League Player magazine.
Roosters boss Brian Canavan declined to comment on Orchard's tweet. However, he said the decision to employ Nubodi was a club decision ''not taken by any one individual'' and parting ways with Penfold was not linked to the blood-testing regime.
''Lachlan has very high-level technical skills in his area and is a valued contributor over his three years here but we no longer have a designated sports scientist in the club,'' Canavan said. ''We restructured some of our staff in the performance area and that sports science role has been absorbed by other staff at the club.''
Roosters power and strength coach Smith - the son of former head coach Brian Smith - declined to comment.
The Roosters remain on the lookout for an assistant coach to Trent Robinson after Paul Green took up the head coaching role at North Queensland.
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