TAB Sportsbet media manager Glenn Munsie said the agency had held a record figure of $5,091,000 in bets on State of Origin I. "The interest was enormous," Munsie said. "The hold was up 27.4 per cent on game one in 2008. There were 194,000 individual bets placed on the various options, which was up 22 per cent on game one in 2008.
"We lost on the game, with the biggest swing coming as a result of Queensland scoring that last-minute try. It meant that, in the tri-bet market, with the options of Queensland winning by over 6½, NSW winning by over 6½ or either team winning by under 6½, we lost heavily.
"We would have preferred Jarryd Hayne [to have] been awarded that early try for NSW, which would have made him the game's first try scorer. Billy Slater scoring the first try was a much worse result for us than Hayne."
The most experienced figure in sports betting management in Australia, Gerard Daffy, described it as the blackest night in Origin history for bookmakers.
Daffy, now the sports betting manager for SportsAlive.com and formerly with Centrebet for more than a decade, said the last-minute Maroons try was a huge joy for punters betting with his agency as well. "We got hammered by that on the tri-bet," Daffy said. "But we got hammered across the board."
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said bets on Queensland outnumbered those on the Blues by six to one. The rush for the Maroons was also on at Centrebet, where Neil Evans said Queensland were backed from $1.53 into $1.44 to win.
"There was a late rush that saw one punter unload $35,000 at $1.45 and another invest $30,000 at $1.48," Evans said. "The Maroons also tumbled in from an opening $1.60 to win the series a couple of months back to $1.45 by the time game one kicked off."
Support for Knights
Neil Evans said Newcastle had been the best-backed team with Centrebet in this weekend's NRL round, firming from $1.30 in to $1.28. The Eels have eased to $3.75 and are likely to get out further.
Betstar's Alan Eskander said the agency had increased the points start Melbourne were giving in tonight's game against Brisbane from a flat four to 4½ now that Broncos centre Justin Hodges is out with a knee injury suffered in the Origin game.
AFL punting paradise
Betstar's Alan Eskander reckons it could be another disastrous week for bookmakers betting on the AFL. "With five of the eight favourites under $1.25, it looks to be multi heaven for AFL punters," he said. "The past month has been terrible but we're not about to run and hide."
Eskander said Port Adelaide had been the best-backed team of the weekend with Betstar. "They are $1.24 in to $1.19 while Fremantle is friendless, going from $4.25 to $5," he said.
"One punter had $2000 on Port at -26½ and another $3000 on at -27½. The line is now -29½, but with injuries to take into account, the line may jump to -34½."
Essendon, at $1.88, are slight favourites against Adelaide, $1.95, for Sunday's game at Etihad Stadium. Hawthorn have eased from $1.40 to $1.44 against the Swans, who have firmed to $2.85. "The Swans were very good in their second-half last week and are Hawthorn's bogy side, winning four of the last five clashes between these two," Eskander said.
Proteas for cricket cup
South Africa have been backed in from $7 to $4.50 with Sportingbet Australia to win the ICC Twenty20 World Cup. Sportingbet's chief, Michael Sullivan, said the Proteas were second favourites behind India.
"South Africa has been steadily supported since we opened this market back in December," he said. "There's no doubt they are shaping as our worst result."
Sullivan reported little interest in Australia.
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