Ashley Klein’s betting escalated after the referee was secretly investigated by the NRL in 2019 despite an arrangement under which he agreed to have his gambling monitored by league headquarters.
The Herald revealed on Friday that the NRL had known about Klein’s gambling issues for four years before he closed down his accounts and placed himself on BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, in 2023.
Klein ended up losing more than $400,000 betting on horse racing and greyhound racing. Some NRL club bosses believe his position as referee for the second State of Origin match on Wednesday is untenable.
The game’s No.1 referee was not breaking NRL rules which ban participants from wagering on rugby league, and there is no suggestion he has ever acted improperly in his on-field role.
But the revelations have raised questions about the handling of the affair by the NRL, which allowed Klein to keep refereeing some of its biggest games including State of Origin clashes and a grand final before he shut himself off from betting online three years ago.
According to a source close to the investigation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, Klein’s losses at the time of the NRL’s initial investigation in 2019 were a fraction of the $400,000-plus they would reach four years later, although still a material amount.
Klein agreed at the time to a proposal that the NRL would monitor his betting.
Despite that, he found himself losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the following years before eventually closing down his betting accounts and placing himself on BetStop in 2023.
It is understood the NRL questioned him further around that time after concerns about his gambling again made their way to the game’s head office at Moore Park.
The NRL declined to answer questions about what monitoring of Klein’s betting had taken place after 2019 and what measures had been put in place to mitigate integrity risks.
The NRL’s standard integrity agreements with corporate bookmakers allow it to check whether players, coaches and match officials are betting on rugby league, but do not give it access to their gambling records on other sports including racing.
In a statement on Friday, Klein said: “Many years ago I developed a problem with gambling on horse racing and greyhound racing. This gambling was not related to any betting on rugby league, and my job as a referee has never been impacted. I received help to deal with the problem and closed all associated betting accounts. This was a difficult period of my life but one which did not in any way influence my job as a match official.”
Klein is still listed to referee what will be his 14th State of Origin game in a row on Wednesday, but two club bosses said on Saturday he shouldn’t be taking charge at the MCG.
“It’s not a good look,” said one club powerbroker, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “I know the NRL have conducted an investigation and said they are fine with it, but perception can be reality.
“It feels off … it creates an element of doubt and uncertainty. It allows for a conversation where someone’s integrity could be brought into question.
“The NRL will have to deal with the feedback if and when questionable decisions are made because people will try to connect dots.”
NSW are taking a 1-0 series lead into the match, which will be played before a crowd of more than 90,000, after their epic comeback against Queensland in Sydney last month.
That match turned dramatically after Klein sent off Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga for a shoulder-charge on Blues winger Tolutau Koula in the 57th minute, a decision the NRL said he got right.
“I think it’s untenable for him, I really do,” another club boss said of Klein refereeing State of Origin. “Even if he has done nothing wrong, it will be so hard for him.
“If it’s 1-1 [in the series] they can’t put him in for the final game in Queensland. It will be impossible for him to not second-guess himself and have that in the back of his head. It’s not about bias, it’s the perception of bias. And that’s always going to be there now.”
Former Queensland forward Darryl Brohman also said Klein “shouldn’t be refereeing the game”.
“It just leaves the NRL, himself and others open to criticism. I know they get criticised at the best of times, but this will be 50 times worse,” he said on 2GB radio.
Mark Geyer, who made three appearances for the Blues between 1989 and 1991, agreed Klein should be stood down.
“I think it’s untenable,” he said. “I don’t think he will be in the right headspace to referee such a massive fixture.“
The two states competing in the potentially decisive Origin clash at the MCG themselves have not raised any concerns.
A NSW Rugby League spokesperson said it was a matter for the NRL, but the Blues were fine with Klein’s appointment.
“He’s a great referee. He’s done it for a long time and he’s always delivered on the big stage,” NSW hooker Reece Robson said.
Queensland Rugby League chairman Brian Canavan said: “We’re comfortable with everything that’s going on and we don’t particularly worry about who is the centre person on Origin night.”
with Billie Eder
Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
Roy Masters is a Sports Columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.