Kiwis lose points, Fien banned

[Go_The_Doggies]

02 November 2006

BREAKING NEWS - 5.55pm
The Kiwis have been stripped of their two Tri-Nations competition points and their hooker, Nathan Fien, banned for the rest of tournament by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).

The RLIF executive committee today ruled Australian-born Fien was ineligible and the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) breached international rules by playing him against the Kangaroos and Great Britain last month.

Fien has already left the Kiwis camp and was reportedly heading to Queensland today.

After a six-hour process that began this morning with a RLIF telephone hookup between Australia's Colin Love (chairman), the NZRL's Selwyn Bennett, Great Britain's Richard Lewis and National Rugby League chief executive David Gallop, Love announced the Kiwis had been stripped of the two points from their 18-14 win over Great Britain last Saturday.

It means they are back to zero, but their two points haven't gone to Great Britain who are also yet to open their account.

The for and against points from last Saturday's match has also been expunged for both teams.

The Kiwis can still defend their title in the November 25 final if they beat Great Britain in Wellington on November 11 and Great Britain lose both their matches against the Kangaroos.

The saga began this week when Bennett, the NZRL chairman, revealed the birth certificate Fien produced to confirm his eligibility was for his Wanganui-born great-grandmother, not grandmother as Bennett previously stated.

The rules state a player can claim eligibility through his parents or "any of his grandparents".

The NZRL's defence, prepared by their lawyer, centred around what they felt was ambiguous wording of the grandparents rule, and the fact there was no punishment outlines for a rule breach.

Love said it was clear the NZRL knew that Fien was ineligible on October 19, but included him in the Kiwis team.

[Go_The_Doggies]

Bugger.

I'm angry, but not going to get all upset over it. Hopefully this teaches Sel Bennett and the NZRL don't **** up like this again, but in the end atm the whole game of International Rugby League and this whole who you can play for is abit frigged up atm, imo.

I'm still confident we can make the final.

[Grimmace]

What the they shouldntve been docked points IMO they shouldve been fined and banned Fien thats as far as it shouldve gone.
To dock them of points is a bit harsh and heres hoping they finally change the rules.

[Go_The_Doggies]

What the they shouldntve been docked points IMO they shouldve been fined and banned Fien thats as far as it shouldve gone.
To dock them of points is a bit harsh and heres hoping they finally change the rules.

Yeah I feel the same way, and I sort of feel sorry for Nathan Fien, like hearing him on the radio sport this morning an interview that had before he made his Kiwis debut, he's hardout wanting to be a Kiwi , and asked if he would play for Australia if he was picked, he said he would "tell Ricky Stuart where to shove it" ...but then I think how he knew that it was his Great Grandmother, not his Grandmother. Oh ffs I don't know

I'm just glad all this granny-gate stuff is over.

[Meh]

Great. a decision i dont agree with is a decision none the less and we can get back to tri nations football. i feel sorry for fien...better luck next year i suppose

[BrisbaneBroncosRule]

stupid decision, the points should have stayed with them.

[Steelers]

Well there goes any integrity that this tournament had. I won't bother watching any of the remaining games. It has turned into a farce. The governing bodies of Rugby League are the reason that International Rugby League is a disgrace at the moment.

[Queenslander]

Nathan Fien is more of a New Zealander; than Karmichael Hunt is Australian.

This is an absolute joke, whatever happened to trying to promote the international game...........

This decision (like the decision earlier this year to remove points from the NZ Warriors) destroys the inroads the Rugby League was having in NZ.

[Steve]

The kiwis will beat the poms, and we'll beat them in both games (well, with Ricky coaching, that's not quite a given), so it makes little difference.

Even playing for a country through residency is a bit dodgy to me.
A change from that is what gave us State of Origin, and made the interstate rivalry competitive.

Let Hunt, Mason, and whoever else born in NZ play for NZ.

Still, you reap what you sew. They broke the rules. They knew they were doing it at the time. Punishment is a risk when you cheat, no point complaining when you get caught. (Didn't work for the drug mules either!)

[~Wild Child~]

Politics getting involved with sport again :ok: The Kiwis should not have lost competition points over this. Brings the whole competition down a couple of levels.

[Grimmace]

Kiwis punished on black day
By Steve Jancetic
November 02, 2006 NEW Zealand was stripped of its Tri-Nations points today, and Nathan Fien was banned from taking any further part in the series, on a day dubbed as one of darkest in the history of international rugby league.

The Rugby League International Federation (RILF) handed down its findings following a marathon day of talks between Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain officials via a three-way phone hook-up.

The hearing revealed the New Zealand Rugby League was aware two days before Fien made his Test debut against Australia in Melbourne on October 21 that his great-grandmother, not his grandmother - as had been previously represented - was born in New Zealand.

The NZRL today stood by its claim that it took the wording of the competition's constitution, which refers to a player's grandparents, as meaning either a grandparent or great grandparent.

"The game is based on trust between the nations and we've acted accordingly and we acted in relation to the representations that were made," Australian Rugby League chairman and chairman of the Tri-Nations sub-committee Colin Love said today.

"Now obviously different interpretations have been placed on the rules subsequently by others and we're told they acted in good faith.

"But it was never communicated to us that it was Fien's great-grandmother and not his grandmother who was born in New Zealand.

"So far as this rule is concerned regarding eligibility - I've got no doubt in my mind what grandparent means, and I don't think too many other people have either."

Asked if he could remember a darker day for the sport internationally, Love, a long-time rugby league administrator said: "I don't think so, not since I've been involved."

Love refused to speculate on claims that NZRL chairman Selwyn Bennett should stand down in light of the whole mess.

Love also said the Tri-Nations sub-committee had not been made aware of claims that Fien had presented New Zealand officials with four different birth certificates - his own, his father's, his grandmother's and great-grandmother's - and he distanced himself from claims the Kiwis had deliberately tried to get away with breaking the rules.

"I don't know whether it's (a matter of being) deceived because we're told that it was an honest mistake that this information wasn't communicated to us, but we're certainly disappointed," Love said.

Love said the committee had considered throwing New Zealand out of the tournament but he believed the punishment delivered better fitted the crime.

As well as losing the two competition points, the for and against records from New Zealand's 18-14 win over Great Britain in Christchurch have been expunged for purposes of the tournament table.

"I think it's a pretty dramatic option to expel a team from the competition," he said.

"You've got a team of players that busted their collective gut to win that match.

"To have the points taken away from them is pretty dramatic."

The Kiwis are now last on points differential, setting up a pivotal clash against the Lions in Wellington on Saturday week.

The winner of that match is likely to join Australia in the November 25 final.

Great Britain coach Brian Noble said the Lions wanted to qualify for the final of their own accord and not rely on getting in via default.

"As a group of rugby league players we have six points to play for and we want to do it our own way," Noble said.

The NZRL said it accepted the sub-committee's finding and also cleared Fien of any breach, while also confirming they would not challenge the decision.

Mt Isa-born Fien is believed to be on his way back to Townsville after leaving the New Zealand camp today.

Fien, who has just completed his second year with New Zealand Warriors, will qualify to play for the Kiwis under residency rules next October.

AAP

[jenny]

What the they shouldntve been docked points IMO they shouldve been fined and banned Fien thats as far as it shouldve gone.
To dock them of points is a bit harsh and heres hoping they finally change the rules.

Yes i agree, if he was born in Mt Isa..How did he get to play for the Kiwis anyway? Thats should be thouroughly checked...I feel sorry for NZ!! What about the Players that busted a gut! Fien should have been banned and fined...But i dont thinks its right for the team to lose their points!

[patrick]

I am so surprised at the decision to strip points and ban Fien...NOT.

I think the stripping of points took it too far, the Tri-Nations seems cheaper now. Banning Fien from playing was fair enough.

[Grimmace]

Love said the committee had considered throwing New Zealand out of the tournament but he believed the punishment delivered better fitted the crime.

IF that would to happen id seriously be laughing and disgusted at the IRLF because itd be the biggest and dumbest joke they can pull at all.

[Go_The_Doggies]

I really can't help but feel sorry for Fien, he was hardout and still is hardout wanting to be a Kiwi. On the news they showed the Kiwis in a huddle, and Fien walking around talking on his phone, don't know if that was from today though.

BTW, Webby has returned to Cairns, something about a family tragedy. Eek hope everythings ok!!!, he'll be back in Kiwis camp for the Wellington game.

Also if we were to get kicked out over this..I would be emailing hardout to Sel Bennett, I ought to now tbh, but meh.