An NRL coach has reportedly been caught monitoring his players using an Instagram burner account.
Code Sports have revealed the unnamed coach recently lost his anonymity — with members of the team receiving a tip-off from a source at the club.
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They then carried out their own research and realised the account in question was following a host of players in the team.
One is said to have reacted by jokingly threatening to block the account.
It is understood the coach had created the profile to monitor the behaviour of his team.
A “burner” account is “a temporary or secondary social media profile created to remain anonymous, hide a user’s true identity, or separate activity from a primary account”.
The players only became aware of the burner “in recent weeks”.
The revelation comes ahead of the Magic Round in Brisbane this weekend.
It is also less than two weeks until the first State of Origin game at the Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Reports emerged on Wednesday NSW coach Laurie Daley was set to name James Tedesco at fullback, overlooking incumbent Dylan Edwards.
Both fullbacks are in superb form for their clubs, but it would be a huge call to recall 33-year-old Tedesco to the Origin arena.
“There were some murmurs today that maybe Tedesco has got the spot,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360 on Kayo Sports.
The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read said: “I would be surprised if Dylan Edwards is not the fullback. It’s a huge call.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary defended Edwards last weekend, saying: “If we’re talking about taking Dylan Edwards out of the Origin team, then geez, it must be going well.”
Originally published as Shock as NRL coach’s burner Instagram account exposed