BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

A fan responding online to The Sydney Morning Herald’s story over illegal betting on the 2019 Dally M will sure raise some eyebrows for those that bet on the trifecta in the 2019 Dally M Medal race.

One user asked, “If you have a spare investigative journo, might be worth looking into the Tedesco, Smith, Moses trifecta betting market. Moses polled 3 votes in the final round with 5 runs, 32m, 0 try assists, 0 line breaks, 0 line break assists, 7 MISSED tackles and finished 3rd.”

Several others have pointed it out online since the Dally M last year.

As we know, James Tedesco won the Dally M Medal on 34 points, three clear of Melbourne legend Cameron Smith on 31.

Parramatta’s Moses – who had an outstanding season – needed three votes in the final round against Manly to finish 3^rd behind Tedesco and Smith.

The Eels blew the Sea Eagles off the field at BankWest Stadium running out 32-16 victors.

The official stats on NRL.com had Moses tallying just 26 fantasy points – the same amount as reserve prop Daniel Alvaro and hooker Reed Mahoney. Seven teammates finished ahead of Moses including cult hero winger Maika Sivo on 81 points (he scored three tries as well) and halves partner Dylan Brown who tallied 57 fantasy points.

On the NRL.com official match report, Moses is mentioned zero times.

Sivo is mentoned 15 times.

Despite losing the game by a fair distance, no less than eleven Manly players finished with more fantasy points.

During the match, the official NRL Twitter account posted a video of Sivo and said: “Monster performance, take a bow.”

The81stMinute gave Moses zero votes in the Arthur Beetson Medal while our friends at League Unlimited gave three votes to Sivo, two votes to Michael Jennings and 1 vote to Addin Fonua-Blake.

Yet somehow, Moses received three Dally M votes.

The81stMinute.com is not suggesting the Dally M judging panel did anything illegal.

Foxsports.com.au’s headline declared: “Maika Sivo stars as Eels smash and leapfrog Sea Eagles in pre-finals hitout.”

In their match report they said Sivo was “almost unstoppable”.

There was also a seismic plunge with bookies for Tedesco, Smith and Moses to finish top three in the days leading into the Dally M.

It appears Sivo was stoppable after all.

@woodward_curtis