![Caught up in the investigation: Steve Matai.](/web/20160910142151im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/c/l/0/g/image.related.landscape.460x307.grd1qc.png/1473412863862.jpg)
Matai denies phone was seized by customs
Veteran Manly centre Steve Matai on Friday denied his phone had ever been seized by authorities in Australia or overseas.
Chris Barrett is a Sports Writer with The Sydney Morning Herald.
Veteran Manly centre Steve Matai on Friday denied his phone had ever been seized by authorities in Australia or overseas.
The New Zealand international's gambling activity and his association with noted Sydney punter Eddie Hayson has been of interest to police.
Officers from the State Crime Command's Organised Crime Squad visited the offices of corporate betting agencies in recent months, trawling through records of bets and deposits made into accounts in a bid to locate a money trail behind suspicions of corruption of three NRL games over the past two seasons.
Investigators from the NRL's integrity unit led by Karyn Murphy met with Andrew Fifita at Sharks Leagues Club on Monday.
The Bulldogs have lost three matches in a row to qualify seventh and must defeat the Panthers without the services of fullback Will Hopoate, who will missing for religious reasons.
The fullback is unavailable for the sudden-death match against Penrith due to his religious beliefs.
Leichhardt certainly wasn't the Tigers' jungle on Sunday. From the moment Tim Simona's kick-off to the match sailed dead at the Iron Cove end, drawing groans around the ground, it was evident this might not be their afternoon.
The Tigers' unlikely finals bid has delighted club officials, who give Jason Taylor credit for the rise of players such as five-eighth Mitchell Moses and for backing himself on the difficult mid-season demotion of Robbie Farah.
Wests Tigers hope a first sell-out at Leichhardt Oval in more than four years can help propel them to a playoff berth and five-eighth Mitchell Moses warns they won't be there "to make up the numbers" if they sneak into the finals.
A day out for Manly was particularly so for the Trbojevic brothers as the Sea Eagles make a late charge for the finals.
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