The National Rugby League will "remove any remaining ambiguity around gambling on rugby league when it calls on players and registered staff at every club to sign a document outlining exactly what is required of them if they want to remain in the sport," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. NRL COO Jim Doyle "also warned players and officials that the code was ready to use its links with bookmaking agencies to undertake regular audits of betting accounts, with heavy sanctions to follow if anyone was found to have placed bets on rugby league." As well as Williams, four other players -- North Queensland’s Ethan Lowe, Gold Coast’s Cody Nelson and Melbourne duo Hymel Hunt and Slade Griffin -- "were handed two-game suspensions for placing bets on their teams in games they did not play." Doyle said the game had drawn a line in the sand and "future sanctions would escalate." Doyle: “Today is a clear statement to everyone involved in rugby league that you are taking a major risk if you bet on matches. We are taking a zero-tolerance policy from this point on" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 7/11). In Sydney, Michael Carayannis reported NRL clubs "may be forced to disclose the injury status of key players as the code looks to ramp up its efforts to eliminate betting on games by players and officials following the suspension of David Williams and four others." The NRL "is also exploring the possibility of delaying the announcement of teams, which traditionally takes place on Tuesday." Injured players "are often named because in some cases the sides have played less than a day earlier." Doyle said that the code’s integrity unit "was exploring ways to eliminate information on team changes being leaked." Doyle: “It is something being looked at.” Doyle said that the NRL "was also exploring the possibility of delaying team announcements." Doyle: “That’s something the integrity unit is looking at, working with the football department and scheduling” (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/10).
