Coaches Billy Slater and Laurie Daley have expressed their backing for State of Origin referee Ashley Klein following the revelation of his past gambling issues.
During a pre-Origin press conference in Melbourne, Slater addressed the matter and described the public exposure of Klein's personal struggles as "unfair."
"To be honest, I personally think it's unfair to have something personal like that be aired publicly," Slater remarked.
He added, "I feel for Ashley … it hasn't been discussed within the camp and that's my personal position with it. I think it's quite unfair on him."
Klein acknowledged his fight with addiction after a report claimed he had lost $400,000, clarifying that his gambling was limited to horse and greyhound racing, never involving rugby league, and occurred seven years prior.
"I received help to deal with the problem and closed all associated betting accounts. This was a difficult period of my life but one which did not in any way influence my job as a match official," Klein stated.
The NRL has since cleared him of any misconduct.
Daley, the Blues' coach, echoed Slater's sentiments, asserting that Klein's past would not impact his performance at the MCG on Wednesday night.
"It's challenging when things like that get brought up and I hope Ashley has got the right support and people around him, to help navigate the period," Daley added.