Rugby league: Wooden spoon punt on Roosters causes NRL betting suspension

11.00am

SYDNEY - An anonymous punter who wagered A$100 ($110) on the Sydney Roosters to finish with the National Rugby League (NRL) wooden spoon forced six of Australia's biggest agencies to suspend betting on the competition yesterday.

The sports betting drama was last night described as "the biggest uproar in the history of rugby league betting," by SportsTAB's Glenn Munsie -- the man who was instrumental in initiating the chaos.

The Sydney punter placed $100 on the table-topping Roosters to run last at the juicy odds of 500-1.

As word of the bet and baseless rumours of an NRL salary cap investigation spread like wildfire among league fans, fellow punters rushed to back the Roosters -- outlaying thousands of dollars on them to finish wooden spooners.

The punters were acting on incorrect information the Roosters were the subject of an NRL investigation which could see them stripped of their premiership points -- just like the Bulldogs were in 2002.

The NRL was forced to state publicly there was no inquiry nor any need for an inquiry into the Roosters' salary cap.

"There is no special investigation," said NRL chief executive David Gallop. "This is simply speculation around one person's bet. "

The Roosters were upset by the betting drama, claiming the club had been slurred by the salary cap investigation rumour.

Club chief executive Brian Canavan said there was no basis for claims the Roosters had broken the cap.

"Our salary cap was presented to the NRL in March like every other club," Canavan said. "There is no inquiry. It's just so disappointing. "

By lunchtime yesterday, the Roosters had been incredibly backed in to $51 with SportsTAB -- forcing the agency to suspend betting on the wooden spoon.

Shortly afterward Centrebet, the Victorian TAB, SportOdds, Sportsbet and Bill Hurley's Australian Sportsbet had also closed down betting on who would run last in the NRL.

SportsTAB finally re-opened wooden spoon betting at 6.14pm (NZT) yesterday and took 60 bets on the Roosters to run last in the first hour.

Munsie revealed the $100 bet during an interview yesterday morning on Sydney-based sports radio station 2KY, opening the floodgates.

SportsTAB immediately took 30 bets on the Roosters to run last, with punters standing to win $200,000.

"You just can't keep letting the punters on," Munsie told The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"It was just a throw-away line on radio. But I walked in to work and found it had caused the biggest uproar in the history of rugby league betting. "

Asked was his club tired of salary cap speculation, Canavan said: "We are. We understand we are a club enjoying success. But these things are generated by unsubstantiated rumours and they just grow."

- NZPA