Corruption allegations into a prominent Brisbane businessman with strong links to the Broncos has sparked an NRL investigation into possible salary cap breaches following a series of bets on the premiers to finish last this year.
The NRL probe comes just days after Brisbane CEO Bruno Cullen signed a statutory declaration that the club had not knowingly exceeded the salary cap last season, and he was adamant yesterday that rumours to the contrary were unfounded.
"I'm very confident of what I signed off on, so if it is true I'll lose my job or go to jail, one of the two. That's how serious it is with us," Cullen said.
"News Ltd made it very clear to me in no uncertain terms when I first came on board here that they wouldn't tolerate salary cap breaches because of their ownership of the club and ownership of the game.
"They couldn't have one of their clubs involved in that sort of stuff so they're very diligent in that area, and as far as I'm concerned, we're OK."
However, TAB Sportsbet last night suspended wooden spoon betting in reaction to speculation surrounding the Broncos. The agency's media manager, Glenn Munsie, said they had taken the decision to protect punters.
"We've suspended betting because we don't want unsuspecting customers getting caught up in a rumour situation like they did when there were rumours about another team a couple of years ago," Munsie said.
NRL chief executive David Gallop confirmed inquiries were being made.
"The rumours have flown around today and we've made some inquiries but at this stage we've not uncovered anything," NRL chief executive David Gallop said.
Behind the rumours is an investigation by Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission into a $300,000 loan from Brisbane businessman Ken Talbot to a former State Government minister, Gordon Nuttall.
A spokesman for the Crime and Misconduct Commission told the Sydney Morning Herald: "We don't comment on ongoing investigations."
Talbot - a major shareholder in Macarthur Coal, whose personal wealth is estimated at $500 million - is a high profile member of the Broncos Thoroughbreds, a well connected cheer squad for the Brisbane team whose membership Wayne Bennett is said to have a veto over.
Cullen described the Thoroughbreds as a group of Brisbane businessmen who assist players in the transition from their football career to life in business.
"They don't give the Broncos any money whatsoever, they're not sponsors and I certainly don't get any money from them collectively," he said.
"The players, through their association with them, might move into an industry that appeals to them after football, and I would go as far as to say that they might associate themselves directly with the guys and continue a career with them in some fashion, but they certainly don't pay them money and they don't contribute money to the club."
There are other connections between the club and Talbot: former Broncos chairman Don Nissen is a director of Macarthur Coal, and Cullen's predecessor as chief executive, Shane Edwards, is in charge of a hotel group Talbot owned until last year. Recently retired Bronco and Australian prop forward Shane Webcke was a member of the advisory board of the Talbot Hotel Group.
Talbot, a Bennett devotee, travelled to England for the recent World Club Challenge - between Brisbane and St Helens from Europe - where he had been inspecting nuclear power stations.
He is often first into the Broncos dressing room after a thrilling win, dispensing hugs to Bennett. "Talbot does nothing in rugby league unless he asks Bennett," a former international seeking funds from Talbot said.
The ex-international, believing he had reached an agreement with Talbot for a sponsorship with FOGS (former Queensland Origin greats), was told the deal had been cancelled because it had not been sanctioned by Bennett.