OVP
Coach
- Messages
- 11,625
Just roll up and die News LTd. NOONE wants you as a part of our great game. Did Becky s**tty-Wilson think of that headline for you ? Christ i LOATHE them... Btw Mr Mascord, you lost EVERY tiny bit of respect you had, since you joined the Lackey-Brigade of News Ltd.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20671473-23214,00.html
Cheating Kiwis may boycott
By Steve Mascord
October 31, 2006
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.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20671473-23214,00.html
Cheating Kiwis may boycott
By Steve Mascord
October 31, 2006
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.
![](http://network.news.com.au/images/h14_dailytelegraph.gif)