NRL cannot play innocent on gambling any longer

RUGBY League has faced match-fixing scandals before but the NRL can longer play innocent when it comes to gambling writes PAUL KENT

John Elias admitted to planning to fix a match in 1994.

• MATCH FIXERS WILL GET LIFE BAN, SAYS GREENBERG
• THE DIRE DEFEATS WHICH SANK THE SEA EAGLES
• EDDIE HAYSON NO STRANGER TO PLAYING LONG ODDS
• ALLEGATIONS GO TO HEART OF SPORTS WE LOVED
• LEAGUE CENTRAL: THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE NRL

THESE are not hysterical worries engulfing rugby league.

Last week club officials pulled aside a high-profile player, a former representative player, and warned him about associating with Eddie Hayson. The officials were aware police were looking at suspicious gambling activities, although it had yet to break.

Yet the following night the player was having a beer with Hayson at The Steyne, the warning dead on the floor.

This came days after three players were issued with consorting warnings following a Chinese dinner with a former bikies boss. When one of those players, Corey Norman, was charged later that night with possessing drugs.

However unfair, Hayson - who vigorously denies any wrongdoing - has found himself at the centre of the latest betting scandal.

It is not unfamiliar territory.

It’s believed in 2006 he got an early tip that Andrew Johns would not play and so he unloaded on the Knights’ opponents, the lowly placed Warriors, and walked away with upwards of $200,000.

There is nothing illegal about getting good information early. Or backing it when you do.

The problem is that we continually allow our game to put itself in a position where questions of integrity can easily be raised.

Many years ago I was a young reporter when a wildfire went through the game that something was up about a South Sydney-Western Suburbs game.

John Elias confirmed that he planned to fix a match in 1994.

Every punter in town said the game was off. Bookmakers suspended betting.

The Australian Rugby League distanced itself from the claims.

While privately concerning, the game had no capacity to properly investigate it, had no partnership with bookmaking firms, and so basically claimed that if there was any evidence it should be passed on to police while warning people that if they gamble on rugby league games they took on the risk associated.

It was the only option the game had at the time. There was no capacity to fully or properly investigate claims.

In 2010 John Elias, believed to be the architect behind the betting sting, confirmed in his autobiography that he had planned to fix the match and he had several other players on the payroll but said in the end they decided not to go through with it.

Maybe they knew police were watching.

What changed between then and now is that the NRL has got into bed with corporate bookmakers. There are 18 partners on the NRL’s website.

That partnership allows the NRL to earn millions of dollars every year as part of a 1.5 per cent tax on betting turnover.

GREENBERG: Match-fixers will be banned for life

NO WORD: Manly yet to hear from police or NRL

Yet, still, the NRL has barely beefed up its integrity rules.

Todd Greenberg should be applauded for his press conference on Thursday. It was a good start.

He stood in front of the game and made it clear anyone caught and found guilty will be banned for life.

“I want to state very clearly if, and at this point it is if, such an issue is proven, we will take whatever action is necessary to protect the game and to ensure that those who have damaged it play no part in it,” he said.

The key for me, though, is if Greenberg needs to go on with the job now.

After all, without other safeguards in place, what’s it mean?

There have to be deterrents in place to protect the game’s integrity and not just punishment if you are dumb enough to be caught.

The game can’t just seek to close the story down.

Already Manly has put out a statement saying the club was “bitterly disappointed that the Club’s hard earned 70 year reputation for fair play has been unfairly tarnished by imputations raised by some media outlets”.

The Sea Eagles loss to Parramatta last year has come under investigation.

Unfairly tarnished? It is a police investigation into two games where police identified Manly was involved in both games. That is fact, not someone looking to slur the club.

It almost appears as if Manly would prefer it to simply go away, even if there were players taking pay-offs for fixing games.

Better to house cheats than bad publicity.

The early tip is that police do not have enough evidence to make a charge stick in this investigation. There have been worse cases built with more.

If the police cannot make a charge stick where does that leave the NRL?

As well as the police investigation, the NSW TAB is currently doing its own investigation.

In April a man walked in to Breaker’s Country Club at Terrigal and fed 10 $100 notes and 340 $50 notes into the pub TAB, where no cameras are trained on the machine, and put the entire $18,000 on Parramatta to cover the spread against Manly. The unusual betting was all to avoid detection.

There is no suggestion of match fixing. The TAB is more concerned with the gamblers involved.

They have strong links to NRL players.

The game can’t claim plead innocence anymore.

Greater transparency is needed around the information on games, from injury lists to player availability to the enforcement of team line-ups.

Times have changed.

If the NRL now profits from the gambling dollar, it has to accept that it is part of the game.

A GOOD WEEK FOR

QUEENSLAND went a long way towards setting up yet another series victory with Wednesday’s win over the Blues.

It is hard not to be impressed with the Maroons, who after the game spoke like gentlemen. Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Corey Parker ... they all spoke humbly and eloquently.

And yes, remove the little joke that Sam Thaiday unfortunately offered and he, too, spoke intelligently and humbly.

With all that is going on in the game, the tough trot the game sometimes gets, it’s a nice touch from the biggest names in the game.

Queensland did the job again on Wednesday night.

A ROUGH WEEK FOR

FIGHTING qualities have always been part of the Geale DNA. Daniel Geale was a Commonwealth Games gold medallist that many thought was too nice to make it in the cut and thrust of professional ranks.

Geale had fighting qualities few recognised, though. He won two world middleweight titles on the back of those titles.

Then, 18 months ago, Geale revealed his mother Michelle was suffering from lymphoma. She fought the brave fight but, sadly, Mrs Geale lost her fight this week. Thoughts are with Daniel and the entire Geale family.

DON’T MISS

I LIKE to think of it as soap opera for men, but with real consequences.

Unbelievable storylines, capped by a strong finish when the two fighters finally get hold of each other. UFC 199 hits Main Event at midday Sunday where Luke Rockhold defends his middleweight belt against Englishman Michael Bisping.

When Rockhold confirmed he was looking forward to the fight, Bisping replied: “Luke, this is TV, you’ve got to try and be entertaining, charismatic and try to sell the fight.”

Rockhold, who stopped Bisping in Sydney last time the show was here, bristled. Other sworn enemies, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, also lock horns.

Brad Fittler is a finalist for Men of League’s Captain’s Captain.

JUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Brad Fittler, Channel 9 personality.

You’re a finalist for Men of League’s Captain’s Captain, that must be nice.

I didn’t know about it but it’s nice of them to think of me.

You got the job during the Super League war, was that a difficult time to be captain?

It came early, most probably when I didn’t deserve it. Having said that the 1995 tour we went on became one of my greatest memories.

Why is that?

We were an understrength team playing a strong New Zealand and England. No-one gave us a chance, really. They had all their players. Matthew Ridge missed a goal from the sideline and sent it into extra time. We won the World Cup.

Was being the face of the team during Super League difficult?

The players just got on with it. I don’t think it ever went to my head, I just felt it was a great honour. I suppose I could have been a better statesman but I never thought about it.

You captained many great players and never lost a series as captain.

I came in just as Lazzo (Glenn Lazarus) and those guys were leaving and guys like Gordie (Tallis), Webby (Shane Webcke), Joey (Andrew Johns) and myself were coming through. The 2000 team I captained was one of the best team I’ve ever been part of.

Geoff Toovey has been a class act throughout.

CHILL PILLS

GEOFF Toovey handled himself with aplomb as he struggled to keep his job and kept it up this week amid match fixing allegations at his former club. He is a class act.

ANGRY PILLS

So Nick Kyrgios announces he will boycott the Olympics, his protest against a lack of support from the AOC. And the rush of support for him is ... totally absent. It says something.