Ashley Klein Betting Row Draws Slater and Daley Support
Ashley Klein betting claims put the Origin Game II referee under immediate scrutiny after a report said he lost more than $400,000 on horse racing and greyhound racing. Billy Slater and Laurie Daley both moved quickly to defend him on match eve in Melbourne.
Slater backs Ashley Klein
Slater said the issue stayed outside Queensland’s camp and called it unfair to have something personal made public. When asked about the optics of Klein staying in charge, he answered, “Yeah, for sure,” and added: “To be honest, I personally think it’s unfair to have something personal like that to be revealed publicly. It hasn’t been discussed within our camp.”
He followed that with a second line that made his position plain: “That’s my personal position with it, I think it’s quite unfair on him.”
Daley supports the referee
Daley matched that stance and said he wanted Klein to have support around him. “I agree with Billy. It’s challenging when things like that get brought up and I just hope he’s got the right support and the people around him,” he said. “We’ve got no concerns with Ashley being apart of the game.”
Klein had already said in a statement that “my job as a referee has never been impacted,” and the NRL cleared him of any wrongdoing. That left the argument focused less on punishment than on whether the gambling history, now in public view, should affect his role in Wednesday night’s Origin Game II.
Origin Game II pressure
The report that triggered the debate said Klein reportedly lost over $400,000 betting on horse racing and greyhound racing. With the match set for Wednesday night, the conversation shifted fast from the past losses themselves to how the game should handle a referee whose personal history is now part of the Origin build-up.
Daley was also asked about a separate report suggesting he was failing to inspire some Blues players, and he brushed that aside while turning the focus back to New South Wales’ results. “I want what’s best for New South Wales. I want to win, I want the boys to win and I want to fans to win,” he said, before adding, “If I can satisfy everyone from New South Wales and the boys are really happy with their performance, then great.”
He closed that exchange with a line that fit the mood around Game II: “It’s very funny. You get excited when you win, and disappointed when you lose. There’s nowhere in between.”
