National Rugby League side Manly Sea Eagles winger David Williams is the first player "named and shamed in the NRL betting scandal -- not that he was betting in big amounts or involved in match-fixing," according to Rothfield & Massoud of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Under the NRL's "strict gambling guidelines, no player, official, coach or agent can bet on rugby league." A second Manly player -- back-rower Daniel Harrison -- has been "contacted by the NRL about illicit betting, albeit to a far lesser degree than his teammate." The NRL is pushing for Williams to be "banned for the rest of 2014 after learning 'The Wolfman' made dozens of bets featuring rugby league options over a three-year period." Up to 30 bets were made from Williams' Sportingbet account. They "extend as far back as 2011, but tapered off last year." The bets "also include wagers in matches involving his own team, which encouraged the NRL to hit him with such a heavy penalty." It is "understood he never backed the opposition to defeat Manly" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 7/10). The AAP reported the NRL was "expected to sanction a number of other players on Thursday for placing small bets on matches -- often as little" as A$5 ($4.71) -- following an audit by its Integrity Unit. The NRL said last month that it had "found no evidence of widespread involvement of players in betting on matches" (AAP, 7/9).
