AJ Brimson's manager offers simple explanation after NRL star caught up in betting furore
Brimson's photo of a $10,000 win on Melbourne Cup outsider Knight's Choice raised several questions.
AJ Brimson has created a stir online after posting a $10,000 winning bet on Melbourne Cup victor Knight's Choice to Instagram. NRL players are forbidden to bet on rugby league games - as outlined in their code of conduct agreement - but there is no restriction on them gambling on horse racing.
However, on the image Brimson uploaded - and then promptly deleted - two bets below seemingly showed wagers placed on footy events, including a try scorer bet. This saw the Gold Coast Titans refer the incident to the NRL Integrity Unit to investigate.
But Brimson's manager insists the Titans star has done nothing wrong as it was his mother's account and he was simply sharing her $10,000 win. "It is all going to die a very simple death because the account is his mother's and the reason she backed it is because her surname now is Knight," Jim Banaghan told AAP.
"She put a fan's bet of $100 on it and that is the only bet she has had in the last seven months. The previous (bet) was on her son to score a try. It is all her account. I have got the message flows from her to him, the whole lot, and it is on her account."
AJ Brimson fails to back Melbourne Cup winner
Banaghan said Brimson had a wager himself on the Melbourne Cup but he didn't back Knight's Choice. And after receiving a text from his mum that she had won big, Brimson uploaded a screenshot of her collect, unaware of the bets underneath.
"It is just young men with social media," Banaghan said. The Titans have referred the incident to the NRL's Integrity Unit and say they "can't comment further on this matter at this time".
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NRL players are strictly banned from betting on any rugby league fixtures. Back in 2017, Wests Tigers player Tim Simona was deregistered from the NRL for placing bets against his former club.
Under the NRL’s betting code: “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. Or be involved directly or indirectly, in the provision of information not already in the public domain that might assist another person to gamble in relation to rugby league.”
with AAP