NRL boss David Gallop has warned players they risk life bans from the rugby league if caught up in the betting scandal engulfing the game.
NSW Police are investigating a number of suspicious betting activities surrounding the round 24 clash between Canterbury and North Queensland, with heavy money invested on the Cowboys to score first via a penalty goal.
Calling the betting controversy a 'matter of the most serious concern', Gallop is threatening severe punishment for any player found to be involved.
"I think anyone in a sports administration position fears that kind of episode and if these allegations are true then we'll expect the police to act," he said at the annual state of the game address on Wednesday.
"This manipulation of seemingly minor parts of the game is wrong and goes to the very core of the integrity of the contest, so if these matters are proven then you can expect us to take the harshest action that we've got available to us."
"I've always had a view that if something is threatening the integrity of the contest then you've got a serious problem and we face this situation considering it to be of the most serious nature."
"In terms of individuals, obviously life bans are available to us, and if this type of thing is proven then you'd have to say that's very much on the cards."
Despite the damage the betting scandal is causing the game, Gallop has no regrets over the NRL forming official ties with a number of betting agencies.
He argues the relationship gives the NRL greater access to betting information and increased leverage when it comes to deciding on what can be bet on.
"We've got some say in the types of bets that can be placed," Gallop explained.
"We've actually got an improved position now that we've got deals with the betting agencies."
"(We have) access to information, the ability to monitor betting - things we didn't have in the past."
"Whether we can cut every kind of obscure bet out is difficult to say but we certainly get a greater say than we have in the past."
"I say let's wait and see where this episode gets to, but we'll certainly be reviewing the nature of the bets at some point."
Asked if police were investigating more than one match, Gallop said: "We're not aware of any issue other than the one inside the Bulldogs-Cowboys game."
"At this stage we're relying on the police and we have all seen that they've established a task force so they're obviously taking it very seriously."
"Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible."