National Rugby League Side North Queensland Could Cost Bookmakers Millions

Australian bookmakers "face a multi-million-dollar wipeout" as North Queensland threatens to "pull off the biggest grand final boilover" in National Rugby League history, according to Darren Walton of the AAP. Bookmaker Gerard Daffy said that the Cowboys "were the longest-priced pre-finals underdogs" since sports betting was legalized in Australia in '93. Most agencies had coach Paul Green's "injury-depleted side" at 66-1 to win the title "after scraping into eighth spot, with some fans snapping up odds of 100-1 with Betfair." Daffy: "They needed miracles to make the eight." He added that UBET "had received six times as many bets on the Cowboys" as it did on the favorite, Melbourne, which enters Sunday's grand final at 4-1 to win the premiership. Daffy said, "We are seeing big bets for the Storm but once-a-year league punters are behind the Cows. ... If the Cows win, it'll cost bookies Australia-wide millions. It's a disastrous result" (AAP, 9/28).