- Ryan Tandy was convicted of match-fixing and banned for life
A leading sports integrity expert has raised the alarm about match-fixing in Australia’s top footy codes, claiming that it is easier to do today than it was 15 years ago when NRL star Ryan Tandy was busted in rugby league’s most notorious betting scandal.
The troubled footy star received a life ban from rugby league after he was convicted of match-fixing while playing for the Canterbury Bulldogs against the North Queensland Cowboys in 2010.
Investigations were launched following a $30,000 betting plunge on the game and Tandy was subsequently banned for life from the NRL.
The plunge was on the Cowboys to score first through a penalty goal, and Tandy deliberately gave away a penalty in front of the posts early in the match.
However, North Queensland decided against taking the penalty kick and scored a try instead.
Tandy was also handed a $4000 fine and a 12-month good behaviour bond for his involvement in the scandal.
Ryan Tandy (pictured right in 2009) was found dead of a suspected drug overdose in 2014 after receiving a life ban from rugby league over his 2010 match-fixing scandal
A sports integrity expert has claimed match-fixing is easier today than it was 15 years ago when Tandy (pictured carrying the ball during his time with the Storm) shocked the Aussie sporting world
Mark Phillips, a betting analyst from Global Sports Integrity, says the recent boom in unregulated offshore sportsbooks has made match-fixing significantly harder to police.
‘In 2010 when the Tandy match occurred there were only about 10 licensed wagering service providers offering AFL and NRL games, all of whom were licensed in Australia and therefore obliged to report any suspicious bets,’ Phillips told News Corp.
‘In 2025 there are around 100 licensed Australian operators and hundreds of unlicensed offshore operators offering markets on NRL and AFL.
‘In theory, with so many unlicensed operators it would be much easier for those wishing to place unscrupulous bets.
‘There are absolutely more options now.’
Phillips went on to say that troubled athletes are often targeted for possible involvement in match-fixing schemes.
‘Very often the athletes who are involved are vulnerable for one reason or another – and they have often been groomed by unscrupulous characters who want to profit from the bets,’ he said.
‘In Tandy’s case, we didn’t know it at the time, but it appears that he had quite serious gambling debts.’
Tandy’s career ended after he was banned for life by the NRL for match-fixing
In 2014, Tandy was found dead of a suspected drug overdose at his parents’ house in Saratoga, just north of Sydney.
The former journeyman front-rower had been living at his parents’ apartment as part of his bail conditions after he was charged with allegedly kidnapping a man.
Tandy, whose father was born in Birmingham, spent time in Britain where he played for five clubs including Doncaster and then Hull KR in the English Super League in 2007.
He also played five matches for Ireland in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
