Tigers cancel Tim Simona’s registration after NRL betting scandal

WESTS Tigers centre Tim Simona is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the NRL issued the club a notice to cancel the registration of the New Zealand international representative.

It’s alleged that the 25-year-old Simona – who has been the source of constant trade rumours over the past month – placed minor bets on league games, including matches involving the Tigers.

Under the NRL’s betting code players are prohibited from engaging in any gambling activity if they have even the faintest connection to the league.

“No NRL employee, NRL club employee, player, player manager or game official is allowed to participate, or be directly or indirectly involved in any way, in gambling in relation to rugby league.”

On Friday the league issued a statement on Simona’s situation.

“The NRL today issued a notice of intention to cancel the registration of Wests Tigers player Tim Simona,” an NRL statement read.

“The notice relates to alleged breaches of the rules relating to gambling on NRL matches. Simona will now be prohibited from training or playing with the club until the matter is finalised.”

The centre has five days from Friday to respond to the assertion.

Is Simona the victim of over-saturation or was he already doomed to failure

For as long as gambling has existed unscrupulous professional athletes have looked to profiteer from their inside knowledge. This is why Simona is facing such a substantial ban from the competition.

The integrity of the sport is paramount, and while there is no suggestion that Simona used any inner sanctum information to place an informed bet, there is a national pushback from all codes on the ubiquitous nature of gambling advertising.

AFL star and Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood slammed the influence of gambling advertising, while his sentiments were later echoed by Geelong backman Harry Taylor, who lamented the ‘worry’ gambling advertising has on his family and the wider community.

Gambling advertising is out of control and I think it needs to change – let me know if you agree pic.twitter.com/zPTrC7OnFG

— Easton Wood (@easton_wood) February 10, 2017

While Wood and Taylor were speaking more on the negative impacts advertising has on the younger generation, the argument can be made that Simona, and those who have punted before him, are products of society’s propensity to punt, rather than their own volition.

However, blaming your own mistakes on outside influences has long been the crutch of the accused, and in this instance we are not buying it.

Fact is, any and all arguments will be made to get Simona off the hook, but the reality is players are responsible for their own actions and the amount of education that goes into codes of conduct across all sporting organisations in Australia is stringent and all-encompassing.

In modern day sport there is simply no excuse for gambling on your own sport, in any fashion. There is no sympathy for Simona here – he simple should know better.