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NRL to deregister Simona for alleged gambling breaches

17th February, 2017
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Tim Simona's betting issues have led to the NRL to crack down on exotic betting. (Naparazzi, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Roar Guru
17th February, 2017
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The NRL has issued a notice of intent to cancel the registration of Wests Tigers player Tim Simona.

The notice reportedly purports to breaches of the NRL’s gambling rules, which prohibit players from placing bets on NRL matches.

Simona won’t be allowed to play or train with his club side until the matter is resolved.

The centre will be allowed to respond to the allegations before a ruling is made.

The 25-year-old has played 79 NRL games to date, registering 110 points and 27 tries in the process. His temporary disqualification comes as a blow to the Tigers, who are just two weeks away from opening their 2017 campaign against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.

The Tigers have struggled in recent seasons, with coach Jason Taylor already under intense scrutiny following his handling of Robbie Farah’s deteriorating situation at the club, followed by his exit.

Farah will face his former employers in Round 1 and should he show them what they’re missing, Taylor could be under yet more pressure.

“Wests Tigers have been made aware that player Tim Simona is currently under investigation by the NRL Integrity Unit in regards to allegations of breaches of the rules relating to gambling on NRL matches,” Simona’s club said in regards to the allegations.

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“The club will be making no further comment until the investigation is complete.”

It hasn’t been a pleasant few seasons for Wests, with the club having not finished in the NRL’s top eight since 2011. They finished 9th in the 2016 season, however, the absence of Simona will no doubt give further headaches to an already under pressure Jason Taylor.

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