The National Rugby League "has informed players at the centre of the ongoing betting investigation that they will be both publicly named and suspended, most likely by the end of this week," according to Brent Read of NEWS LIMITED.
In a "sign of how serious the NRL is taking the issue," the players -- including at least one prominent first grader -- "were told of their likely fate last week." It was unclear on Monday night "whether officials also caught out placing bets on games would face a similar fate given they are not NRL employees and are instead contracted to their clubs."
The players, however, "are contracted to the NRL and as such, are bound by the game’s code of conduct." The code "strictly states that players are forbidden from betting on games regardless of whether it involves their club or not."
Under the code, the NRL "has the ability to issue a series of sanctions ranging from warning letters to suspensions."
While the NRL "has stressed the bets in most cases are for minor amounts, it appears the code has opted to take a zero tolerance approach to one of the most contentious issues in sport" (NEWS LIMITED, 7/8).
