NRL: Betting scandal hits hapless Roosters

The Cowboys' win against the Roosters is under scrutiny. Photo / Getty Images

Claims that the Sydney Roosters are bracing for a police investigation into an alleged betting scam could be the latest scandal to hit the NRL.

The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday ran an expose of a betting scam said to have occurred around the club's last home game of the season, against the North Queensland Cowboys.

The Herald said bookmakers suspended betting three times before the game after a splurge of bets backed the Cowboys to win by more than 13 points, while there was very little betting interest in a straight Cowboys win.

The Herald report told of one punter who outlaid $1500 after hearing, through Roosters associates, that a 13-point-plus loss was "a sure thing".

He cashed in after the Roosters surrendered a 16-0 half-time lead to lose 32-16.

But it is the way the Herald claims that Roosters players have been pointing fingers at each other and ostracising some teammates that has painted a picture of a club riven by disputes and more distasteful incidents.

Some players told the newspaper they were furious that a small group of Roosters "celebrated" the loss by visiting a brothel and enjoying the free services of prostitutes.

One unnamed player was quoted as saying: "I'm aware that several of the players have been up there [to the brothel] on a weekly basis throughout the year. On occasions they are receiving free services. I don't know why or how that works. Why you would want to involve yourself in those types of circles when you are a professional sportsman, I do not know."

The player told the Herald he was stunned by claims within the club that results were being manipulated. But on reflection, he noted there was one player "who would do it", adding several others were young and impressionable. "Now, looking back, I can't say that it didn't happen."

On the morning of the September 6 match, the Sun-Herald revealed that the nation's biggest sports agency, TAB Sportsbet, had suspended betting because of the weight of money on the Cowboys winning by more than 13 points.

"We've got a lot of worries about the betting activity on this game," a TAB spokesman, Glenn Munsie, said at the time.

Sources close to the club claim there has been an arrangement in place for several years involving a Roosters scout who offers to supplement the wages of younger players with bonus payments in order to aid bets.

The source said because those requests were not intended to alter the end result (rather influencing the losing margins or the half-time result), it was easier to draw the youngsters in.

"It's been happening for years. You can take it as being 120 per cent," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the source as saying.

Roosters chief executive, Steve Noyce, said if every rumour in the code was investigated it would be a full-time job and that was not really the club's function.

"Brothels are legal. I am not aware of any specific allegation that any Roosters people are owed favours," he said. "The bookies were stung and suddenly the talk is that players are throwing games."

NRL chief executive, David Gallop, said the NRL had initiated some early inquiries about the match but did not have sufficient information to launch an investigation.

NSW police said they had not contacted the club and a complaint from the public had not been lodged.

- AAP