thanrldiva
Matthew Rodwell
THE manager of Matthew and Andrew Johns yesterday denied speculation linking the brothers to a betting plunge by a millionaire horse owner and punter on Sunday's game between Newcastle and the Warriors.
The sports betting industry was abuzz with rumours yesterday after an estimated $250,000 was allegedly won by Eddie Hayson after the last-placed Warriors upset the top-of-the-table Knights at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
Most bookmakers suspended markets on Friday once it was known that Newcastle captain Andrew Johns could miss the game after straining his neck in the gym on Thursday.
However, the move came too late as several significant bets were laid that afternoon with bookies around the country for the Warriors to cover the spread of 16.5 points start.
Hayson owns the racehorse Regreagan in partnership with the Johns brothers and the suggestion yesterday was that news of Andrew's injury was relayed to him before the markets were suspended.
Several bookmakers told The Australian yesterday that Andrew had informed his brother Matthew he was in doubt and he in turn relayed the information to Hayson.
There is no suggestion, even if both rumours were true, that either brother would be in trouble with the NRL for breaching its strict anti-gambling rules.
"Matthew Johns has had no contact whatsoever with Mr Hayson for at least two weeks," manager John Fordham said yesterday. "The last occasion was to discuss their horse Regreagan, so therefore rumours circulating about contact Matthew Johns and Mr Hayson and Matthew Johns and Andrew Johns had in relation to the Warriors game are totally false."
Fordham also denied the suggestion that Andrew had told Matthew he could be in doubt for the game, given a decision on his fitness was not officially made until after 8am on the morning of the game.
Johns, who is contracted until the end of 2008, has had a history of injuries over the last few seasons and is only one serious injury away from hanging up the boots for good.
"If the game was played on Saturday there was absolutely no way he would have played," Fordham said.
"It was a 50-50 call on Sunday and he said he would make a decision that morning.
"I spoke to him on Sunday morning and when he initially got up he felt he was OK to play. But then the neck started to tighten again and I said, 'You're crazy to play mate if you're in any doubt at all'."
Hayson is well known as the man who masterminded a Gold Coast greyhound racing sting last year after he manipulated the odds on a TAB market to win $700,000 from an Adelaide bookmaker. It is understood Hayson has not breached the NRL's rules either and denied he was behind the plunge.
Bookmakers refused to confirm if Hayson had laid any bets with them but it is believed they were made by a commission agent.
Northern Territory-based betting agency Sportsbet revealed it had lost $50,000 on the game with the biggest bet being $30,000 on the Warriors with 16.5 points start at $1.90.
"We did up to $50,000 on it. And as soon as it became public knowledge that he (Johns) came out, it was very hard to lay the other side," Sportsbet's Phil Hannah said.
"I've got no idea who was involved in it. We just accepted it as one of those things. You back a few winners and you back a few losers."
Sportingbet's Stuart Springer said he had lost money on the game and one punter had asked after backing the Warriors with 16.5 points start at $1.90 for $15,000 if he could lay them for $40,000.
"For someone to ask for a bet of that size on a Friday when the game's on a Sunday, your ears prick up straight away," Springer said.
"I believe most of the people who bet with us were betting with someone else for this game. They were money movers."
Mark Read's International All Sports spokesman, Darren Dunbar, said they reacted early to speculation Johns might be out but there were still some curious bets made.
Centrebet's Gerard Daffy suspended his market on Friday night after taking $75,000 in bets on the Warriors but claimed he had still finished in front.
The sports betting industry was abuzz with rumours yesterday after an estimated $250,000 was allegedly won by Eddie Hayson after the last-placed Warriors upset the top-of-the-table Knights at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
Most bookmakers suspended markets on Friday once it was known that Newcastle captain Andrew Johns could miss the game after straining his neck in the gym on Thursday.
However, the move came too late as several significant bets were laid that afternoon with bookies around the country for the Warriors to cover the spread of 16.5 points start.
Hayson owns the racehorse Regreagan in partnership with the Johns brothers and the suggestion yesterday was that news of Andrew's injury was relayed to him before the markets were suspended.
Several bookmakers told The Australian yesterday that Andrew had informed his brother Matthew he was in doubt and he in turn relayed the information to Hayson.
There is no suggestion, even if both rumours were true, that either brother would be in trouble with the NRL for breaching its strict anti-gambling rules.
"Matthew Johns has had no contact whatsoever with Mr Hayson for at least two weeks," manager John Fordham said yesterday. "The last occasion was to discuss their horse Regreagan, so therefore rumours circulating about contact Matthew Johns and Mr Hayson and Matthew Johns and Andrew Johns had in relation to the Warriors game are totally false."
Fordham also denied the suggestion that Andrew had told Matthew he could be in doubt for the game, given a decision on his fitness was not officially made until after 8am on the morning of the game.
Johns, who is contracted until the end of 2008, has had a history of injuries over the last few seasons and is only one serious injury away from hanging up the boots for good.
"If the game was played on Saturday there was absolutely no way he would have played," Fordham said.
"It was a 50-50 call on Sunday and he said he would make a decision that morning.
"I spoke to him on Sunday morning and when he initially got up he felt he was OK to play. But then the neck started to tighten again and I said, 'You're crazy to play mate if you're in any doubt at all'."
Hayson is well known as the man who masterminded a Gold Coast greyhound racing sting last year after he manipulated the odds on a TAB market to win $700,000 from an Adelaide bookmaker. It is understood Hayson has not breached the NRL's rules either and denied he was behind the plunge.
Bookmakers refused to confirm if Hayson had laid any bets with them but it is believed they were made by a commission agent.
Northern Territory-based betting agency Sportsbet revealed it had lost $50,000 on the game with the biggest bet being $30,000 on the Warriors with 16.5 points start at $1.90.
"We did up to $50,000 on it. And as soon as it became public knowledge that he (Johns) came out, it was very hard to lay the other side," Sportsbet's Phil Hannah said.
"I've got no idea who was involved in it. We just accepted it as one of those things. You back a few winners and you back a few losers."
Sportingbet's Stuart Springer said he had lost money on the game and one punter had asked after backing the Warriors with 16.5 points start at $1.90 for $15,000 if he could lay them for $40,000.
"For someone to ask for a bet of that size on a Friday when the game's on a Sunday, your ears prick up straight away," Springer said.
"I believe most of the people who bet with us were betting with someone else for this game. They were money movers."
Mark Read's International All Sports spokesman, Darren Dunbar, said they reacted early to speculation Johns might be out but there were still some curious bets made.
Centrebet's Gerard Daffy suspended his market on Friday night after taking $75,000 in bets on the Warriors but claimed he had still finished in front.
