http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226636335653
NRL hires private investigator to trace The Daily Telegraph's sources
Josh Massoud, James Hooper and Rebecca Wilson
The Daily Telegraph
May 07, 2013 12:00AM
The NRL has hired a private investigator - who is famous for hunting Afghani warlords - to trace The Daily Telegraph's sources.
Garry Sweet recently served in the most dangerous country on earth, diving head first into a lawless landscape of terrorism, bloodshed and drug trafficking.
But yesterday the private investigator and security guru was on the phone to three Daily Telegraph sports journalists in a bid to uncover their sources.
As part of the NRL's unwavering ambition to spend its new $1 billion broadcast deal on greater surveillance measures, the paramilitary has been engaged to find the leak of Cronulla's independent report. The NRL confirmed a private investigator was looking into the incident.
"We consulted with Cronulla and all parties agreed the leaking of privileged information is serious and all parties want to get to the bottom of any breaches of confidentiality," an NRL spokesman said.
Last week's court injunction appears to be of little comfort to NRL boss Dave Smith.Smith is desperate to identify whoever leaked the report that formed part of a legal advice, which was only recently handed over to Smith in abbreviated form.
It's a task Smith clearly believes worthy enough to exhaust funds that might otherwise nourish junior development or ailing bush clubs.
According to one of his peers in the private security and investigations sector, Sweet's services would be worth at least $300 an hour.
Self-described as "decorated" and "highly qualified", he boasts an impressive resume on the website of his firm, Australian National Security Investigations and Collections Pty Ltd.
Sweet worked in the Queensland police for 21 years, most of them as a senior detective cracking drug rings and teaching younger officers how to discharge firearms.But Sweet has left the best for last, taking charge of 1236 security personnel in war-torn Afghanistan over the past two years. But on this front at least, Sweet has been handed a difficult battle.
Journalists have about as much time for revealing sources as league supporters have for Smith's "E-squared" formula for fan engagement.Or as players and officials have for Smith's whistleblower unit, another reminder of the Orwellian regime the NRL is starting to resemble.
Whatever the amount, there's the same chance of it working as expecting journalists to expose their sources.
None.