NRL probes betting plunge on penalty goal market

The National Rugby League is investigating a highly unusual betting plunge on what is normally a low-interest option in last Saturday's meaningless game between North Queensland and Canterbury at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

The plunge on the first scoring play - in which a Cowboys penalty goal was heavily backed - convinced various bookmakers, including TAB Sportsbet, to cease betting on the option hours before the game kicked off.

NRL media and communications director John Brady last night confirmed an investigation was in progress, saying: ''We're looking into some betting activity and seeking information on any trends surrounding that. We're talking to some people about it, and we're open to receiving any further information that is around on it.''

The plunge did not come off, but as it turned out, North Queensland did have the option of taking an easy shot at penalty goal to open the scoring after the Bulldogs were penalised in the second minute for not getting off the tackled player - Cowboys halfback Grant Rovelli - quickly enough.

The penalty was awarded just nine metres out, and in front of the posts, but the Cowboys elected to take a quick tap and scored a try out wide.

The NRL was first alerted to the plunge by TAB Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie, who told the Sydney Morning Herald: ''It was unusual to see the bets that went on that option. It was an inordinate amount of money to be placed on a [North Queensland] penalty goal as the first scoring play, in what was a nothing match.

''The money started coming for it on the Thursday, and kept coming until Saturday. It had been backed from $13 to $7 by the time we turned it off a few hours before the game. I contacted the league on Saturday afternoon, and handed the information to them.''

Gerard Daffy, the most experienced figure in sports betting in Australia, said he turned the first scoring play option off at his agency - sportsalive.com - shortly after a punter tried to place a bet to win $8000 on a Cowboys penalty goal.

''It's extremely rare for anyone to seriously back an option like that unless it's bad weather,'' Daffy said.

''We took some bets, and then someone tried to have $1000 on at $8, which obviously rang alarm bells. I let him on for a reduced amount.

''It was still Saturday morning, so I checked around the other bookies, and could only find one still betting on it, and they had a Cowboys penalty goal at $5.50. I turned it off after that.''

Michael Sullivan, of sporting bet.com.au, said his agency had also stopped betting on the option.

''Increased interest would be the best way to describe it,'' he said.

''No doubt we did turn it off, but I don't want to make any further comment because people just think bookmakers are whingeing.''

Centrebet's Neil Evans said the odds on a Cowboys penalty goal was cut ''from $13 to $3'' there, adding: ''It was certainly hot property. It was an inordinate go that you would normally never get.''

There were allegations of a betting rort in the final round of last season. The Cowboys were heavily backed to win by 13-plus against Sydney Roosters, and came from well behind to win 32-16.

There were suggestions the Roosters had thrown the game, but the league investigated the match and announced that it could find no evidence of any wrongdoing.

Asked if this was a time of the year when the NRL was particularly alert to the possibility of something untoward happening in games, Brady replied: ''We're alert at all times. This can be a time of the year when results are naturally hard to pick, because we're getting to the end of a long season, and some teams are heading for the finals and others are just trying to finish the season off well.''

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