diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.cpp
index 2c435a5375..b59845c97b 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Licensed under GPLv2+
 // Refer to the license.txt file included.
 
+#include <memory>
 #include "Common/Common.h"
 #include "Common/CommonTypes.h"
 #include "Common/ENetUtil.h"
@@ -512,11 +513,11 @@ void NetPlayClient::Disconnect()
 	m_server = nullptr;
 }
 
-void NetPlayClient::SendAsync(sf::Packet* packet)
+void NetPlayClient::SendAsync(std::unique_ptr<sf::Packet> packet)
 {
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lkq(m_crit.async_queue_write);
-		m_async_queue.Push(std::unique_ptr<sf::Packet>(packet));
+		m_async_queue.Push(std::move(packet));
 	}
 	ENetUtil::WakeupThread(m_client);
 }
@@ -616,46 +617,71 @@ std::vector<const Player*> NetPlayClient::GetPlayers()
 // called from ---GUI--- thread
 void NetPlayClient::SendChatMessage(const std::string& msg)
 {
-	sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-	*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_CHAT_MESSAGE;
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_CHAT_MESSAGE);
 	*spac << msg;
-	SendAsync(spac);
+
+	SendAsync(std::move(spac));
 }
 
 // called from ---CPU--- thread
 void NetPlayClient::SendPadState(const PadMapping in_game_pad, const GCPadStatus& pad)
 {
-	sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-	*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_PAD_DATA;
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_PAD_DATA);
 	*spac << in_game_pad;
-	*spac << pad.button << pad.analogA << pad.analogB << pad.stickX << pad.stickY << pad.substickX << pad.substickY << pad.triggerLeft << pad.triggerRight;
+	*spac << pad.button
+	      << pad.analogA
+	      << pad.analogB
+	      << pad.stickX
+	      << pad.stickY
+	      << pad.substickX
+	      << pad.substickY
+	      << pad.triggerLeft
+	      << pad.triggerRight;
 
-	SendAsync(spac);
+	SendAsync(std::move(spac));
 }
 
 // called from ---CPU--- thread
 void NetPlayClient::SendWiimoteState(const PadMapping in_game_pad, const NetWiimote& nw)
 {
-	sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-	*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_WIIMOTE_DATA;
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_WIIMOTE_DATA);
 	*spac << in_game_pad;
-	*spac << (u8)nw.size();
+	*spac << static_cast<u8>(nw.size());
 	for (auto it : nw)
 	{
 		*spac << it;
 	}
-	SendAsync(spac);
+
+	SendAsync(std::move(spac));
+}
+
+// called from ---GUI--- thread
+void NetPlayClient::SendStartGamePacket()
+{
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_START_GAME);
+	*spac << m_current_game;
+
+	SendAsync(std::move(spac));
+}
+
+// called from ---GUI--- thread
+void NetPlayClient::SendStopGamePacket()
+{
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_STOP_GAME);
+
+	SendAsync(std::move(spac));
 }
 
 // called from ---GUI--- thread
 bool NetPlayClient::StartGame(const std::string &path)
 {
 	std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lkg(m_crit.game);
-	// tell server i started the game
-	sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-	*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_START_GAME;
-	*spac << m_current_game;
-	SendAsync(spac);
+	SendStartGamePacket();
 
 	if (m_is_running.load())
 	{
@@ -1006,13 +1032,10 @@ void NetPlayClient::Stop()
 			isPadMapped = true;
 		}
 	}
-	// tell the server to stop if we have a pad mapped in game.
+
+	// Tell the server to stop if we have a pad mapped in game.
 	if (isPadMapped)
-	{
-		sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-		*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_STOP_GAME;
-		SendAsync(spac);
-	}
+		SendStopGamePacket();
 }
 
 u8 NetPlayClient::InGamePadToLocalPad(u8 ingame_pad)
@@ -1077,12 +1100,13 @@ void NetPlayClient::SendTimeBase()
 
 	u64 timebase = SystemTimers::GetFakeTimeBase();
 
-	sf::Packet* spac = new sf::Packet;
-	*spac << (MessageId)NP_MSG_TIMEBASE;
-	*spac << (u32)timebase;
-	*spac << (u32)(timebase << 32);
+	auto spac = std::make_unique<sf::Packet>();
+	*spac << static_cast<MessageId>(NP_MSG_TIMEBASE);
+	*spac << static_cast<u32>(timebase);
+	*spac << static_cast<u32>(timebase << 32);
 	*spac << netplay_client->m_timebase_frame++;
-	netplay_client->SendAsync(spac);
+
+	netplay_client->SendAsync(std::move(spac));
 }
 
 // stuff hacked into dolphin
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.h b/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.h
index 30f7f5421b..0e1c2ec70e 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.h
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/NetPlayClient.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <atomic>
 #include <map>
+#include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <string>
 #include <thread>
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class NetPlayClient : public TraversalClientClient
 {
 public:
 	void ThreadFunc();
-	void SendAsync(sf::Packet* packet);
+	void SendAsync(std::unique_ptr<sf::Packet> packet);
 
 	NetPlayClient(const std::string& address, const u16 port, NetPlayUI* dialog, const std::string& name, bool traversal, const std::string& centralServer, u16 centralPort);
 	~NetPlayClient();
@@ -128,6 +129,9 @@ private:
 		Failure
 	};
 
+	void SendStartGamePacket();
+	void SendStopGamePacket();
+
 	void UpdateDevices();
 	void SendPadState(const PadMapping in_game_pad, const GCPadStatus& np);
 	void SendWiimoteState(const PadMapping in_game_pad, const NetWiimote& nw);