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Watmough, Gallen have phones seized by Customs: report

Manly backrower Anthony Watmough has emerged as the second NRL player to have his phone confiscated by Customs at Sydney Airport this year.

On Tuesday, 7News reported Cronulla captain Paul Gallen had his phone seized on his return from New Zealand on Sunday.

And on Wednesday, News Ltd claimed Watmough also had his phone taken by authorities when he returned from a match in New Zealand in June.

Cronulla's return from Auckland on Sunday appeared to be straight forward until players and coaching staff realised Gallen had been detained by Customs officers.

Fed up by the lengthy delay the team bus then left without him. A club official was then forced to wait for an angry Gallen, who has denied claims that his phone was seized for a short period.

At the time, Gallen told 7News that his bags had simply been lost.

Both Gallen and Watmough have received interview notices from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, but it's unclear whether or not the phone seizures were in relation to the ASADA interviews.

The Sharks are currently under investigation by ASADA, with players being interviewed by investigators this week.

7News says that Nathan Stapleton was interviewed on Tuesday, and is among ten Sharks players to be interviewed over the club's controversial supplements program in 2011.