HAMISH BIDWELL
Kiwis great Kevin Tamati says the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) deserves everything that may come their way, in the wake of the Nathan Fien "grannygate" debacle.
Tamati, who played 22 tests for the Kiwis between 1979 and 1985, believes the NZRL intentionally flouted the international eligibility rules in fast-tracking Fien into the New Zealand team for the Gillette Tri-Nations and can have no complaints if the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) strips them of the competition points they earned by by beating Great Britain on Saturday night.
Queenslander Fien qualified for New Zealand by virtue of having a New Zealand-born grandmother, but it now appears that the woman was actually his great-grandmother. That's a generation too far for the RLIF and a range of punishments seems up for grabs; from Fien being kicked out of the tournament, to the Kiwis being fined or even losing Saturday night's two competition points.
"And I know hear that the NZRL is now talking about pulling themselves out of the competition if the decision goes against them," said Tamati this morning.
"That's garbage. They should have made sure that Fien fitted the criteria. But now they've been caught breaking the rules and they're just going to have to accept whichever decision goes against them.
"I'm damn sure that if I was Great Britain, I would be expecting the Kiwis to be penalised, and rightly so. You can't have players involved who are ineligible and New Zealand ought to be docked their points.
"The rules are there and if you break the rules, you get what's coming to you. I'm just so flabbergasted that the NZRL would play someone without making it sure it was legal.
"As much as I hate to say it, they broke the rules."
Few players represented their country as proudly as Tamati and he says his beloved Kiwis jersey has been cheapened enough by the number of bogus New Zealanders to have donned in it recent seasons.
"This whole thing goes back to the World Cup in 2000, where if you could prove your genealogy, you could play for whoever you like. I know that they did that to try and ensure the World Cup was a spectacle but, to me, it just makes international rugby league a farce.
"I'm a believer that a bit of faith has to be shown in your own players. Sure, you want to win, but not when you bend the rules to try and get the best team out there."
The RLIF board was due to discuss the Fien claims today.
LEAGUE: Dock points: Tamati
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