Match fixing

[LeagueNut]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/7385572/Auckland-league-match-fixing-verdict-due

The Papakura Sea Eagles rugby league team expect to learn tomorrow whether they will be in the Fox Memorial Trophy semi finals after the team appealed to Auckland Rugby League with accusations of match fixing by the Pt Chevalier Pirates.

A three-person judicial panel, headed by former High Court judge Trevor Maxwell, will determine whether the Pirates are guilty of a charge of bringing the game into disrepute after their 102-0 defeat by the Marist Saints on Saturday.

An initial investigation revealed that 13 of the Pirates who took the field against Marist were not on the team card the previous week.

Fairfax Media has established that all 17 players on the Pirates card were registered with the club's premier seconds and reserve grade teams.

The margin of victory enabled the Saints to snatch the fourth semi final spot from the Sea Eagles with a superior points differential and set up a rematch against the Pirates in the sudden-death semi final this Saturday.

The Sea Eagles cried foul and lodged a complaint with the Auckland Rugby League.

Auckland Rugby League charged the Pirates with a series of offences yesterday including bringing discredit on the game, the Auckland Rugby League and the Fox Memorial Premiership.

It has also charged the Pirates with failing to participate in a professional manner which is a breach of their Premiership Participation Agreement.

The charges centre on allegations that the Pirates deliberately attempted to influence who finished the Fox Memorial Trophy's minor premiership in fourth place and that they achieved it by not fielding their best available players.

The charges are unprecedented and football administration manager Juanita Woodhouse said he is not quite sure what the maximum penalty will be should the Pirates be found guilty.

Papakura Rugby League board member Trevor Mitchell said they want to be reinstated to the semi finals.

''We appear to have the support of the ARL," he said.

The more extreme sentiment is that the Pirates should be relegated back to the third division and the Phelan Shield competition as punishment.

Sea Eagles coach Darrin Smith said there was little he and his team could do but sit and wait.

''We will carry on with our preparations as if we will be playing the semi final.''

Smith said he thought his team had done enough after their 46-26 win over the Bay Roskill Vikings.

''We were gutted when we heard Marist had beaten the Pirates by 102-0 to overtake us.''

Smith said they were confident about their semi final chances against the third-placed Pirates because they'd already beaten them twice this year.

The Pirates beat the Saints 48-16 in their first round encounter.

The major semi final between the Mt Albert Lions and the Glenora Bears remains unchanged.

The other members of the judiciary panel hearing the complaint are ARL life member and long-time administrator Allan Gore and former police officer Geoff Downey.

That sounds pretty bad. Hope the guilty party gets the book thrown at them.

 

[ozbash]

I actually dont have an issue with it.

Aussie did it to us a few years back in a cricket World Cup.

Skinz aint a happy camper

 

[shiznit]

Jeezz... when i saw the title of this thread i thought there may have been an answer for the Warriors givng up two 18pt leads in a row...

 

[IanG]

Sports Mechanics at it again?

 

[_addict]

Jeezz... when i saw the title of this thread i thought there may have been an answer for the Warriors givng up two 18pt leads in a row...

LOL, same.

It does look pretty low though.

 

[Rich102]

Jeezz... when i saw the title of this thread i thought there may have been an answer for the Warriors givng up two 18pt leads in a row...

Hell - me too.

 

[LeagueNut]

"Whoops" :sarcasm:

 

[Blair]

Jeezz... when i saw the title of this thread i thought there may have been an answer for the Warriors givng up two 18pt leads in a row...

Or Maloney missing those sitters at Lang Park.

 

[Dr Crane]

isn't there a point at which dignity would come up ahead of your preferred opponent in a finals game?

if the warriors were assured of finishing in a certain place, and if they gave up 100 points just to get someone they'd consider easier in the finals....i don't think i'd stand for it.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

My immediate thought was if Pt Chev are in a position to influence how the finals pan out, then they perhaps have a right to do so. If Papakura had finished higher, this wouldn't be an issue for them. Oz has a point, Australia did it to us in 1999 World Cup (and failed, because we smashed Scotland to get in anyway). And we did it in the 2001 VB series. They were slightly different though, Australia actually won their game and there was a bonus point scenario.

But then I thought harder and it stinks. That isn't sport. Awful example to kids, awful publicity for the club and the competition. I hope they lose their spot in the semis. Pt Chev, are the likes of Stacey etc still involved?

 

[vvvrulz]

Oz has a point, Australia did it to us in 1999 World Cup (and failed, because we smashed Scotland to get in anyway).

Doesn't make it right though, it was nothing short of a farce to watch Steve Waugh and Bevan patting out deliveries with no intent. It absolutely brings the spirit of the game into disrepute.

This incident with Pt Chev is no different.

 

[Juju]

I definitely think Pt Chev should be stood down.

What makes it stink for me is that their second team still played as per usual as their result still mattered and they played their third team in prems.

As much as the Pt Chev coach was denying they did this intentionally (on radio sport) it is far far to convenient how the result worked out...

 

[Rich102]

Drop them for un-sporstman like behaviour.

Team voluntary tackle?

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Doesn't make it right though, it was nothing short of a farce to watch Steve Waugh and Bevan patting out deliveries with no intent. It absolutely brings the spirit of the game into disrepute.

This incident with Pt Chev is no different.

No no, it doesn't. In accordance to what I said later in my post. To be fair, in that case I had no issue with it. Morally I did a bit, but the rules were there and they were only giving themselves the best chance of winning the tournament. If they took the Windies through, they took more points into the Super Eights. They still won the game so it wasn't throwing it.

Which it is here. It stinks. They're only making more of a pig of themselves by trying to claim it wasn't intentional. No one is that stupid. Kick them out and make it damn clear to everyone this isn't acceptable.

 

[Sef0r]

I know some of the guys that played that day. No way they would intentionally let that happen. They were ashamed of the scoreline. They've played well in their competition but what a big difference the grade makes.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Any resolution/result on this?

Sad thing is, we lost 45-4 with our best available team.

 

[Juju]

Any resolution/result on this?

Sad thing is, we lost 45-4 with our best available team.

Last I heard Pt Chev were booted out but were appealing...

Semis were at the weekend though?

 

[Skinner]

Pt Chev stayed booted after NZRL dismissed their appeal. Papakura played Marist and beat them 22/12.