Titans gun under NRL investigation as text message emerges

The manager of AJ Brimson says there is a “simple explanation” after the Titans star sparked a storm with a photo that’s since been deleted.

The NRL has been made aware of an image shared by Titans gun AJ Brimson on Tuesday afternoon.

The Queensland State of Origin star shared a screenshot on his Instagram stories showing bets placed with a corporate bookmaker with one detail showing a $10,100 win on a bet placed on the Melbourne Cup.

The image also showed previous bets placed. Those bets were blurred out, but appeared to show wagers placed on rugby league games.

As first reported by News Corp, Brimson has told his management the image — which has been deleted — was from a family member’s betting account.

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The screenshot has been flying around social media circles since it appeared on Tuesday.

The image showed Brimson won $10,100 after successfully betting on Knight’s Choice to win the Melbourne Cup with a $100 wager at the odds of $101.

News Corp reported Brimson’s management claims the obscured image was taken from his mum’s account.

Player agent Jim Banaghan told AAP there is a simple explanation for the photo.

“It is all going to die a very simple death because the account is his mother’s and the reason she backed it is because her surname now is Knight,” Banaghan told AAP.

AJ Brimson shared the image on social media. Photo: Twitter.

“She put a fan’s bet of $100 on it and that is the only bet she has had in the last seven months. The previous (bet) was on her son to score a try. It is all her account.

“I have got the message flows from her to him, the whole lot, and it is on her account.”

He said Brimson’s own bet on the Cup was not successful, but shared the image of the successful bet after being texted by his mum.

The club has confirmed it has referred the matter to the NRL Integrity Unit.

“The Gold Coast Titans have referred a social media post made by AJ Brimson to the NRL’s Integrity Unit,” the Titans said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

“The club can’t comment further on this matter at this time.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the NRL is investigating the matter.

Banaghan told the outlet: “There’s nothing to it … it was all a bit of a wind-up and it has just backfired”.

NRL players are strictly banned from betting on any rugby league fixtures.

Wests Tigers player Tim Simona was deregistered from the NRL in 2017 for placing bets against his former club.

Under the NRL’s betting code: “No NRL employee, NRL club employee, player, player manager or game official is allowed to participate, or be directly or indirectly involved in any way, in gambling in relation to rugby league. Or be involved directly or indirectly, in the provision of information not already in the public domain that might assist another person to gamble in relation to rugby league.”

AJ Brimson of the Titans. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Brimson has been the Titans’ most devastating attacking weapon in recent years and in May signed a long-term contract extension under new coach Des Hasler, taking him through to the end of the 2030 season.

The 26-year-old already had two years to run on the $3 million deal he signed with the club in 2021, but the extension means he will likely be a Titan for life.

Brimson heads into 2025 as Hasler’s biggest headache with the veteran coach facing a dilemma of where to play his biggest star.

With Keano Kini and Jayden Campbell taking big strides in 2024, Brimson may find himself the odd man out, despite being one of the club’s best players.