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Bulldogs seek legal advice over website's bettig allegation slur
September 24, 2010
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will seek legal advice after a website posted an item alleging six of the club's players were involved in the NRL's match-fixing scandal and two of them faced the sack at the end of the season.
Police are currently investigating claims of irregular betting involving players and player managers, on a North Queensland Cowboys-Bulldogs match last month.
An item in website Crikey.com's Tips and Rumours section claimed "six Bulldogs players and two managers are caught up in the NRL's betting scandal. Two players face the sack at the end of the season."
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg was quick to dismiss the rumour and said he would consult the club's lawyers about having it removed.
"We'll provide that information to the club's lawyers and we'll seek their advice," Greenberg said.
"There's no substance to it.
"The Bulldogs don't deal in innuendo or speculation. We only deal in fact and that story is not fact and until such time as the police investigation is concluded we won't be making any further comment."
It has been a damaging week for the code as a text message in circulation names a player manager, two former players, a Bulldog and three Cowboys as allegedly being involved in the failed fix attempt.
The Cowboys refused to comment about the inflammatory text message when contacted on Wednesday.
Bookmakers suspended markets on the first scoring play option in the game - traditionally a novelty betting market - after an unusually large amount of money was placed on a Cowboys penalty goal in Townsville.
Bulldogs forward Ryan Tandy lost possession and gave away a penalty in the opening minute of the game, but the Cowboys chose to take a quick tap resulting in a try to Anthony Watts.
Tandy has vehemently denied any involvement in match-fixing.
The NRL enlisted the help of NSW chief racing steward Ray Murrihy detected several unusual betting trends before the matter was referred to police.
It has been reported that a player manager and a former player have been captured on CCTV security footage placing bets on a Cowboys penalty goal as the first scoring play at separate venues, although neither could face sanction from the league.
The NRL has also been forced to deny rumours it is sitting on a report and is ready to take action against the culprits involved after the grand final.
Greenberg, who said he had received the anonymous text message from a few different sources this week, said the latest rumour involving the club was further evidence that there needed to be a quick resolution to the matter.
"I've heard a rumour a day for the last two weeks," he said.
