News Limited is reporting that a high profile NRL player will be banned for six weeks for betting on Rugby League matches. Players and officials are not permitted to bet on any Rugby League games under the terms of their NRL contracts.
Other players face fined for betting on Rugby League games and there is talk that not ever player that received a fine will be named.
I know the star player that is set to be banned and it will cause a big storm when it is announced by the NRL. And no, it’s not a Melbourne Storm player!
Players betting on Rugby League matches is a very slippery slope. I believe penalties should be over the top in how harsh they are so that they are seen as a big enough deterrent to any player that is even thinking of betting on a Rugby League match.
Over in the UK we have seen paltry fines and bans handed out to players who have bet in Challenge Cup games for their own team to lose the game, and those players were not banned for life. They were given a slap on the wrist. As a result, the Challenge Cup, especially in the early rounds, is always clouded by betting allegations and we frequently see players fined and banned as they continue to bet on results.
I think that if a player is caught even betting $5 on a game of Rugby League they should face at least a one year ban from the sport.
The announcement of who the player is that will be banned is expected to come out after State Of Origin three.
