The Fien Saga

[Meh]

Fien allegiance row may cost Kiwis
Monday, October 30, 2006 - 5:58 PM

New Zealand is in danger of being stripped of its two Tri-Nations competition points as the row over the eligibility of Queensland-born Kiwi Nathan Fien escalated on Monday.

Fien, who was born at Mt Isa and previously represented Queensland in State of Origin, played his second Test for New Zealand on Saturday, featuring at hooker in the Kiwis' 18-14 win over Great Britain in Christchurch.

He had originally been permitted to play for the Kiwis after saying his grandmother was born in New Zealand.

International rugby league rules state a player can qualify for a country if any one of his grandparents was born there.

But it has since been revealed it was Fien's great-grandmother who was born in New Zealand.

Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr confirmed on Monday night the sport's four-member international executive would discuss the situation - possibly overnight - to decide whether Fien should or should not be eligible to play for New Zealand.

If Fien were ruled ineligible, Carr said it would then be up to the Tri-Nations sub-committee to decide what action, if any, would be taken against New Zealand.

One scenario could be that the Kiwis would be stripped of their two competition points.

The international executive comprises Colin Love (Australia), Richard Lewis (Britain), Selwyn Bennett (NZ) and NRL chief executive David Gallop.

The three-member Tri-Nations committee is Love, Lewis and Bennett.

Carr said emails and messages had on Monday been sent to Lewis - who is still in England - about discussing the issue.

New Zealand chairman Selwyn Bennett, however, played down the situation on Monday.

"There's nothing in it," he told NZPA.

"The issue is only being sought by the press.

"I haven't heard from Great Britain and I haven't heard from Australia and I don't really expect to."

Bennett said whether the birth certificate produced to prove Fien's eligibility was of his grandmother or great-grandmother, was irrelevant.

"When we first named him in the team, Australia asked us to produce a birth certificate which we did and that's where the matter stopped," he said.

"We can't see anything in it.

"The rules state grandparents, it doesn't state grandparent.

"That's the way the rules are written."

Source: AAP

[Steelers]

Who cares! He is a kiwi now, I wish Australia would sop trying to find ways to make it so that he can't play for the Kiwis. Leave him be FFS!

[Social Loafer]

Mason was born in NZ... As was Hunt... Who Cares...

If they strip the points it will just make International League look like a farce.. FFS let's focus on something more important..

[MonaroMan]

I care. It just makes international football less interesting when players can choose who they play for.

[Steelers]

I care. It just makes international football less interesting when players can choose who they play for.

Well what are they meant to do... suddenly say to him "You can't play for the Kiwis anymore, go back and attempt to get selected for Australia"? He is playing for the Kiwis now, his heart is with the Kiwis, let him play for the Kiwis.

[Robbie_Dee]

I think MM was meaning that Fien shouldnt have been picked in the first place, and i have to agree with him there. But once you play for a country, i reckon whats done is done and thats who u play for for your whole career, and i hope thats what Fien is going to do.

[MonaroMan]

Well what are they meant to do... suddenly say to him "You can't play for the Kiwis anymore, go back and attempt to get selected for Australia"? He is playing for the Kiwis now, his heart is with the Kiwis, let him play for the Kiwis.

They can't do anything about it now, but they if nothing is done in the near future, the problem will be worse than it is now.

[DIEHARD]

Cheating Kiwis may boycott

New Zealand league boss Selwyn Bennett last night performed another backflip in a desperate bid to stop the Kiwis losing their Tri-Nations points.

The Mt Isa-born hooker Nathan Fien seems certain to be booted out of the tournament after Bennett admitted he did not have a Kiwi grandparent, as was earlier claimed.

International Federation officials will also discuss today whether to revoke New Zealand's points for its victory over Great Britain at the weekend, in which Fien played.

But Bennett threatened to pull the Kiwis out of the tournament immediately if points were deducted - and said it would definitely happen if the victory was credited to Great Britain.

However, after telling NZ's Radio Sport that Fien had told him Irene Lilian Maude was definitely his great-grandmother, Bennett changed his story when contacted by The Daily Telegraph.

"I wouldn't have a clue what she is - whether she's a grandmother, a great grandmother or what," Bennett said.

"He said that it was his grandmother ... someone said to me that it was (his) great grandmother.

"I accepted that. Nathan, he makes reference to his nanna. I'm pretty confused as to what it is."

Yet Bennett said he had no plans to ask Fien to clarify the issue, and nor had he tried to contact him about it in the last two days.

He said he would be "surprised if anything did happen" in response to the uproar and he expected Fien to continue playing in the Tri-Nations without a problem.

But the Rugby League International Federation executive chairman Colin Love had another view, saying: "The birth certificate was certainly presented to the Australian Rugby League as that of Nathan Fien's grandmother.

"The rules state that players are eligible if their grandparent was born in that country - but not a great-grandparent.

"It may be that the New Zealand Rugby League will have to show cause as to why they should not lose their competition points for fielding an ineligible player," he said.

International rugby league would be on its knees if the defending champion pulled out of the November 11 clash with Great Britain at Westpac Stadium, its last pool game.

Love was last night involved in a phone hook-up with Rugby Football League executive chairman Richard Lewis to discuss what action to take.

The Great Britain team manager Abi Ekoku said yesterday that rules had been breached and it was up to the RLIF to decide on a punishment.

He said loss of points was an obvious option.

But Bennett argued: "If you have Black's legal dictionary ... read up on grandparents. There's no differentiation between great grandparents or grandparents.

"We have done nothing wrong. We took the player on his word. As far as we're concerned, Nathan is clear to play."

The Kiwi players went bungy jumping during their day off in Queenstown yesterday.

Team manager Peter Leitch said only Bennett was authorised to comment on the scandal.

Source: FOXSPORTS

[DIEHARD]

Amateur hour runs out of time
Comment by Steve Mascord

Theclock on the amateur hour that is international rugby league had ticked down the full 60 minutes last night.

Nathan Fien's eligibility fiasco was a humiliation to all involved in the running of the Tri-Nations and a slap in the face to those people around the world who give up their time free of charge to promote and spread the game.

The Kiwis' coach, administrators and even their players have repeatedly referred to Fien's "grandmother" in interviews over the past month. Whoever came up with this rort has made liars of them all.

And if the NZRL really thought great-grandparents might be covered by the rule - and that beggars belief - they should have sought clarification before selecting him.

But how ridiculous is it that an athlete is allowed to play professional sport at an elite, international level on "his word", with no-one bothering to check?

The Rugby League International Federation is nothing more than development officer Tas Baitieri and a bunch of T-shirts whose full-time jobs are elsewhere.

It doesn't have an address or a phone number and there is no Tri-Nations tournament director.

Is it any wonder embarrassments like "Grannygate" occur when, quite literally, NO-ONE is running the show?

Every player from now on should be forced to provide birth certificates and, if necessary, their parents' and grandparents' birth certificates in order to represent their country.

Nathan Fien - who would have qualified for the Kiwis on residency next year anyway - may yet go down as an important figure in rugby league history.

He will hopefully be the man who forces the administrators to give international football the respect and diligence it deserves.

Source: FOXSPORTS

[DIEHARD]

:yell: I changed the title of this thread to The Fien Saga, so it's now a one stop shop for everything Fien.

[~lee~]

I would have thought birth certificates would need to be provided for every single player. Selecting someone on his word is just asking for trouble. Great Grandparents as far as ive always been aware do not qualify you to play for a country.

NZ have broken the rules and need to be punished. Maybe they can split the point with GB. Fien should be banned straight away from the tri nations..

[Poida]

Kiwis threaten pull out over Fien drama

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 5:02 AM

The New Zealand rugby league team has threatened to pull out of the Tri-Nations if it is docked points because of Australian-born Nathan Fien's ineligibility to pull on a black jumper.

Fien played his second Test for the Kiwis in an 18-14 win over Great Britain in Christchurch on Saturday night, after it understood his grandmother was born in New Zealand.

International rugby league rules state a player can qualify for a country if any one of his grandparents was born there.

But it has since been revealed it was Fien's great-grandmother who was born in New Zealand, and as such, he is likely to be booted from the competition.

International Federation Boss Colin Love says the Kiwis may have to show cause why they should not lose the points.

"If we lose our points then Great Britain needn't bother showing up to Wellington (on Saturday) week because we certainly won't be there," NZRL executive chairman Selwyn Bennett told the Daily Telegraph.
Source: AAP

[Steve]

Ah, even at an international level people don't want to take responsibility.

You cheat, you get caught, you get penalised.

[SuperCliffy#01]

I find it hard to understand how someone that has played State of Origin for QLD can represent New Zealand, if that is true the Fien should have been automatically disqualified from representing NZ.cya.

[Go_The_Doggies]

Im so meh over this whole subject.

We shouldnt lose our 2 points because the NZRL stuffed up, and let Fien play in the first place, but then again, didn't australia have to approve of the birth certificate before he made his debut, if thats the case, why are they bringing it up after he had played for us?, I know they say they only worked it out, but its still abit iffy.

This whole thing is iffy, but I do truely believe we should NOT lose our points over this, fine the NZRL however much money they wish, but don't take our hard earned points, its not like Fien had a match winning involvement in the game, if anyone did it was Webby!!

IMO its time for Sel Bennett to go!!, he is ****ing the NZRL around as chairman imo, he does nothing to promote the game here, and then makes us and himself look like a complete fool.

But saying that, Australia can't really talk, look at that guy called TONIE CARROL!!!

But I have always been iffy about Fien playing for the Kiwis, im even more iffy now!!