Footballer says he lied to police about match-fixing scandal
Greg Prichard
November 21, 2011 - 12:17PM
Key witness Brad Murray has dropped a bombshell in the NRL betting case, saying he had originally lied in his evidence because he felt under pressure from the club he played for, Parramatta, to do so.
Murray was called by police to give evidence at Downing Centre local court today in the case involving John Elias, who is charged with attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception.
Last month, when magistrate Janet Walhquist handed down her judgement in the Ryan Tandy case, she said, in part: ‘‘There is however evidence as to a source of the reason for the unusual betting. There is evidence that Mr Sam Ayoub told both Mr [Brad] Murray and Mr [Joel] Solinas [both of whom placed bets] that the first team to score in the match would be the Cowboys in a penalty goal and that it had been fixed.’’
But when Murray appeared his story had changed, and he said parts of his original statement to police were ‘‘untrue’’.
Murray said player agent Ayoub, who has also been charged with trying to obtain financial advantage by deception and who is the manager of both Murray and ex-Canterbury player Tandy, had ‘‘never told me’’ the game in question had been ‘‘set up’’.
The game, between North Queensland and Canterbury at Townsville in August of last year, was the subject of a highly unusual plunge on the first scoring play option, which is normally regarded as a novelty bet.
The vast majority of money went on the Cowboys to kick a penalty goal to open the scoring.
‘‘The truth is Sam asked me to place bets, and left pieces of paper for me to put bets on,’’ Murray said.
Under cross-examination from police prosecutor Mark Watson, it was put to Murray that he had ‘‘told police it (the game) had been set up’’, to which Murray replied: ‘‘I was under immense pressure from my former football club (Murray has since left Parramatta) that this was the only way I could save my football career.’’
Asked by Watson why he had split the bets up and put them on at three different TAB locations, Murray replied: ‘‘I didn’t feel comfortable placing so much money at one place. I have never placed that sort of money before in one place.’’
Murray said the total amount of money he was asked to put on in bets for Ayoub was ‘‘aroundabout $700’’.
Watson questioned Murray about his having placed a bet for himself as well, on the day of the game.
Murray said: ‘‘I got asked to place three different bets (for Ayoub), and I thought ’well, I might place a bet for myself. (It was) just like getting a tip.’’
Murray said he put a $200 bet on for himself.
Recalled to give evidence in the wake of Murray having given evidence, Matthew Gibson, a detective who was in charge of the police investigation into the suspicious betting on the match, said this was ‘‘the first time’’ he had heard Murray had changed his evidence.
TAB Sportsbet media manager Glenn Munsie will be the next witness called to give evidence today.
