THE Sydney Roosters are bracing for a police investigation into an alleged betting scam surrounding the rugby league club's last home game of the season.
A bitter split has emerged at the eastern suburbs club over the circumstances of the round 26 game between the Roosters and the North Queensland Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Bookmakers suspended betting three times before the game after a splurge of bets backed the Cowboys to win by more than 13 points. Extraordinarily, there was little interest in a straight Cowboys win.
The Herald is aware 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.
In the weeks since the September 6 game, players have been pointing fingers at each other and ostracising some teammates.
They are furious that a small group of Roosters ''celebrated'' the loss by visiting a brothel and enjoying the free services of prostitutes.
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.''
Questions have been raised about several games but it is the circumstances surrounding the final home game that has everyone talking.
On the morning of the 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 exotic bets.
Under NRL rules it is illegal for players and officials to be involved in betting. It is also incumbent on anyone with information to come forward.
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/results-fixed-in-betting-swindle/2009/09/25/1253813612017.html
Huge story, if true criminal charges plus life bans should ensue.
A bitter split has emerged at the eastern suburbs club over the circumstances of the round 26 game between the Roosters and the North Queensland Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Bookmakers suspended betting three times before the game after a splurge of bets backed the Cowboys to win by more than 13 points. Extraordinarily, there was little interest in a straight Cowboys win.
The Herald is aware 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.
In the weeks since the September 6 game, players have been pointing fingers at each other and ostracising some teammates.
They are furious that a small group of Roosters ''celebrated'' the loss by visiting a brothel and enjoying the free services of prostitutes.
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.''
Questions have been raised about several games but it is the circumstances surrounding the final home game that has everyone talking.
On the morning of the 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 exotic bets.
Under NRL rules it is illegal for players and officials to be involved in betting. It is also incumbent on anyone with information to come forward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/results-fixed-in-betting-swindle/2009/09/25/1253813612017.html
Huge story, if true criminal charges plus life bans should ensue.
