Bank and betting anomalies led to NRL match fixing police task force
Anomalies in bank and betting accounts of a network of people connected to controversial punter and former brothel owner Eddie Hayson sparked a police strike force into allegations of match fixing in the NRL.
Interviews with dozens of players and officials are expected to begin as early as Thursday with the Organised Crime squad examining betting patterns on at least three NRL games to determine whether any criminal offences have been committed.
Police investigate NRL match-fixing
Dozens of players from Parramatta Eels, Manly Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs will be questioned by police over possible match-fixing in the NRL.
The announcement of the strike force, named Nuralda, came just two days before the NRL final series kicks off and followed preliminary inquiries by police, which began in June.
The investigation is expected to take between six to 12 months to complete and will involve the powerful NSW Crime Commission, which can summons any person to be questioned in private and where refusing to answer is a criminal offence.
Controversial punter Eddie Hayson denies any wrong doing regarding alleged fixed NRL matches.
Hayson is known to be close to several current and former members of the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league team. Manly is the common denominator in the three matches under investigation.
Last month Fairfax Media revealed the match between Parramatta and Manly played in April 2016 was being scrutinised by police and the NRL integrity unit after the emergence of an extraordinary betting trail linking organised crime figures, associates of Hayson and football playing brothers Kieran and Liam Foran.
Some of the winnings from a successful plunge on Parramatta to win the the match, in which Kieran Foran played for Parramatta, ended up in the TAB accounts of the Foran brothers.
With 10 minutes to go Manly were ahead 10-8. But in the dying minutes of the match Parramatta scored three quick tries, running out 22-10 victors.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ce-into-nrl-match-fixing-20160907-grb4kj.html