After a break for State of Origin the Roar and Against debate is back and this week the focus is match-fixing in rugby league.
It comes as Benji Marshall supported a push to give the NRL access to players’ bank and phone records to assist in any investigations.
Each week two writers will go head-to-head, and will only have a maximum of 250 words to get their point across in the debate.
It will be up to you, in the comments section, to decide the winner. That winner will stay on to take on a new challenger and new topic. That challenger can be anyone, including any commenters who throw their hat in the ring.
To debate this week’s topic, Roar rookie Warren Peace takes on Roar guru, Taking it one week at a time.
Giving the NRL access to players’ personal records will help tackle match-fixing
AGREE
Warren Peace (Roar Rookie)
Match-fixing is a reality of the NRL we don’t like to address unless we absolutely have to, much like drugs. Fixing would be rarer than drugs, which is why we don’t hear about it as often, but again, like drugs, we only hear about the cases they catch – far fewer than the actual incidence.
It’s almost understandable: you’re in a financial bind and get offered tens of thousands of dollars. You don’t even have to throw a match, just give away a dumb penalty.
Of course it happens, it happened to Ryan Tandy in 2010. Do we honestly believe he’s been the only bad egg since John Elias and co. in 1994?
Match-fixing is happening – you’re naive if you think it’s not.
Giving the NRL access to players’ accounts won’t stamp it out forever. But waiting for the cops to begin an investigation before you know anything has happened is borderline negligent.
Yes, the vast majority of players are innocent. But the vast majority of people aren’t terrorists, yet we all still go through airport security – and are occasionally put through unjust embarrassment in the process.
There would need to be checks and balances with the system, ensuring any information with no bearing on match-fixing could not legally be revealed.
But three match-fixing investigations since 2010 tells us that the NRL needs to get on the front foot regarding the issue.
Want to be a footy player? Great, we’ll make sure you’re well paid. But we’ll need to see your bank accounts too.
DISAGREE
Taking it one week at a time(Roar Guru)
A renowned scholar once said “life finds a way”. Actually, it may have been that nerd from Jurassic Park. Either way, the bloke had a point that is very pertinent to the issue of match fixing in rugby league.
Introducing measures around transparency of players’ financial records will not resolve the issue, but simply force dodgy bookmakers and underworld figures to become more creative in their endeavours.
And what about the issue of personal privacy? The rugby league community has more trouble keeping secrets than a prison snitch, yet players are expected to entrust the governing body with the security of their personal details?
The leaking of information to media outlets can have damaging personal consequences (as Kieran Foran well knows).
Despite their public profile, even rugby league players are entitled to some privacy.
If a player is suspected of match-fixing then a proper police investigation would take place in any event which would include search warrants. Until they are suspected of a crime, players should be treated the same as every other law-abiding citizen.
If the NRL is serious about tackling this problem, it needs to stop throwing buckets of water onto bushfires. Take the time to formulate a holistic approach which includes comprehensive education, life skills training and, if needed, some degree of personal financial oversight.
But most importantly, the game needs to officially sever ties with gambling institutions.
Friday night footy!
» New longform: ‘Rugby is a game, not a trade’: Australia’s first rugby Test against England
» Essendon vs Hawthorn: Friday Night Forecast
» The mid-year All Australian team: Rose and Ryan compare notes
» The June internationals Talking Points: Now that’s a centre pairing!
» Ben McCalman and Will Skelton unlucky to miss Wallaby selection
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Who cares about recreational girls? It's legal in Australia.
baz
Guest
ASIC are useless and under funded you can't rely on them or the police. In terms of fraud to useless.
Jeff Cook
Guest
Cadfael Thank you for you submission,of which i agree 100%. Saved me a fair amount writing. So that`s a NO to random access Bank accounts,phones.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Forget the personal privacy issues. Forget that it's open to exploitation by unscrupulous parties. Forget that big brother already has way too much impact in our lives. Then yes if you don't have anything to hide we should all be open books.
Tigranes
Guest
I'm going to go against the grain and say if you've got nothing to hide, then why would you be opposed to this idea...
Christov
Guest
I don't see how seeing the accounts will help. What is to stop them having their spouse open an account? What is stopping cash payments? Just a waste of time if you ask me.
Fox Molder
Guest
Why just the players, why not officials, administrators and coaches? Basically anyone associated with the game is able to influence an outcome, whether it is the team Dr ruling someone out, a referee awarding a try, an administrator scheduling the draw, a team water boy spiking the drinks. The permutations are endless. Todd Greenberg should make his bank and phone records available if he expects the players to.
Tom Rock
Expert
Manly just signed Murrihy. Seriously.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I am not in favour of the NRL being able to randomly access players bank accounts. There are existing legal ways for this. Same with phones, mobile and landline. The problem with checking mobile phone records is it would be assumed each player has y number of phones on different contracts. This is easily overcome with a prepaid phone where there are no call details as there is no contract. I think the NRL having Murrihy look at what they are doing is a step in the right direction but then again some of racings conditions are draconian.
Tom Rock
Expert
If there is a better futuristic prison movie, I can't name it.
spruce moose
Guest
He got it...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Does anyone really believe that players or officials involved in match fixing get a nice little EFT straight into their nominated bank account? Amount: $5,000 For: Match Fixing Remitter: I M A CROOK
The Barry
Roar Guru
I'd love to see way more gamboling in the modern game... I agree 100% with Richard though...we all have a right to privacy that we all should be extremely protective of. What if my employer wants to see my bank account in case I'm taking payments from a competitor? Bank accounts can be accessed if there's evidence of a crime but forcing people to have over access is a slippery slope.
Agent11
Guest
magnets, always with the magnets.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
The problem isn't gambling per se, but the exotic bets that punters can place. Go back to boring old head to head and the problem of fixing is fixed.
Tom Rock
Expert
Almost like, a Fortress http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106950/
spruce moose
Guest
A state of the art detention centre where they are all kept in place by magnets?
Agent11
Guest
i think NRL players should be inserted with micro chips which are monitored from a central control unit and when they are not playing or training they are held at a detention centre.
pete bloor
Guest
Frist lets say it's doable - I'm fine with this if the NRL and the clubs indemnify the players to the tune of 10x their NRL sanctioned earnings should the information be sued for purposes other than it is explicitly intended or legally required. Then you get how unrealistic it is - for starters not all players are going to be Australian tax residents so unless you are planning for the ATO to become the taxation body for the planet it's an unfair system. Then I'm pretty sure you aren't declaring your gambling winnings and the crooked bookmaker asking you to take a dive is unlikely to declare the payment to the ATO. Then you get that taxable income isn't the same as economic income. And that the ATO is hardly running a fool proof system. then you get the issue of potentially bringing in family members, trusts etc which my work has tried for insider trading protections but it's largely been unenforceable. In short it's a pretty crude idea that exposes players to abuse of their information whilst achieving nothing with regards to monitoring the cap or gambling
no one in particular
Roar Guru
I don’t agree that the NRL should have access to bank records. That is over stepping the mark in a huge way. However, I believe that there should be some sort of openness between the ATO and the NRL. This is not just from a match fixing perspective, but salary cap also. If the dollar amounts on the contract and registered TPA’s don’t match up with reported income, then the NRL can investigate. But this is all working on the proviso that players put the ill gotten funds into an account under their name. Players are that stupid