The mobile phone of a leading player is believed to have been seized as part of the probe into NRL match-fixing claims by police, who have scoured betting records at Australian bookmakers in the lead-up to announcing a strike force to escalate the investigation.

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 in a bid to locate a money trail behind suspicions of corruption of three NRL games over the past two seasons.

What they discovered has led them to form Strike Force Nuralda and begin the questioning of dozens of players and officials, who are expected to begin interviews with the NSW Crime Commission in Sydney this week.

Police are believed to have taken information from a player's phone during the initial phase of the investigation as well as accessing betting records of players, officials and others connected to the game.

While detectives have been restricted in sourcing records from overseas bookmakers, it is understood they were able to gain access to data from the foreign parent companies of local agencies.

The games under question are Manly's round 16 defeat to South Sydney in 2015, the Sea Eagles' round 24 loss to Parramatta last season and a clash between Manly and the Eels in April this year.

The involvement of the Crime Commission and its coercive powers will send shudders through the game, with players already discussing the pending interviews privately in the hours after the NSW police announcement on Wednesday.

The Commission is an extremely secret body that compels those called before it to answer questions asked of them, and has the capacity to hand down heavy penalties to those who refuse or are found to have not been truthful. It is even an offence to tell anyone about being interviewed by the Commission.

Information provided to the Commission cannot be used in criminal proceedings against the person who provides it, but is instead gleaned for intelligence purposes.

Ryan Tandy, the late former Canterbury front-rower, was convicted in 2012 for knowingly providing false evidence to the Crime Commission during an investigation into the infamous North Queensland-Bulldogs game in Townsville in August 2010. He was given a six-month, non-custodial sentence and separately fined $4000 and placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond for attempting to gain financial advantage by deception.

Since then the NSW government has amended the Crimes Act to introduce anti-cheating laws that carry a penalty of as much as 10 years in prison for anyone found to have engaged in or facilitated conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of event with the intention of obtaining a financial advantage, as well as for anyone who possesses information about corrupt conduct and either bets on the event or passes it onto someone likely to bet.

Using or passing on inside information, that which is "not generally available", also carries a maximum two-year jail term under the legislation. There are similar laws in other states and territories except Western Australia and Tasmania.

Former professional tennis player Nick Lindahl in April became the first athlete convicted under the NSW laws.

The NRL on Wednesday said it would provide any support necessary to Strike Force Nuralda.

"We are not going to prejudge any person associated with the game while this process is under way," NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said.

"But I repeat my earlier warning that if any person is convicted of match-fixing they will face a life ban from any involvement in rugby league."