Does rugby league have a gambling problem?
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As Betfred takes control of rugby league sponsorship, has the sport backed the right horse?
By Antony Broxton
It was Easter 2004, and two of Britain’s top rugby league players stumbled upon one of the best betting opportunities of all time. Ahead of the top-of-the-table clash between Super League giants Bradford and St Helens, Sean Long and Martin Gleeson discovered that one of the sides would be fielding their reserve team. With the bookmakers anticipating a close game, the pair placed large bets on St Helens to lose by 9 points or more. In what the BBC described as a ‘a one-sided and hugely disappointing match’, Bradford won 54-8 and the pair picked up over £2000 in winnings.
There was, however, just one problem. Long and Gleeson were St Helens players and had placed the bet on their own side to lose. Within days of collecting the cash, the Daily Mail investigative team discovered the story and plastered it all over the back pages. Long was doorstepped at his home in Wigan, giving...
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