Fijian farce!

Anderson's Meats Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley has blasted refereeing standards in Capital Soccer premier division matches this season.
Keinzley is adamant his four Fijian players, in particular, were dealt a poor hand, so much so that he believes third placed Wairarapa United would "very definitely" have won at least three more games had referees given them the same protection as they did other players.
"I'm not saying it was anything racist but there is no doubt in my mind that the Fijians suffered at the hands of the referees," Keinzley said. "Too often they were kicked to hell by opposing defenders and nothing done about it??it's hard not to get cynical when that sort of thing is happening in game after game."
Keinzley said many of the fouls came when one of the the Fijians - Sakeo Valevou, Pita Rabo, Lai Gataurua and Petero Daunsieka -had used their flair and attacking skills to open up opposition defences and had got themselves into a position where goals were very probably going to be scored.
"I can recall at least three games we lost that we would have won had the correct refereeing decisions been made," Keinzley said. "And when you think what those results could have meant to our final placing it is frustrating, that's for sure."
Keinzley said referees seemed to forever take the view that if the Fijians went to ground after being challenged for the ball they were guilty of diving..Indeed they were often penalised for that offence.
"The tackler could hack away at them as much as he liked and wouldn't even be booked??that doesn't sit well with me," he said.
Keinzley believes too that the Fijian quartet were unfairly signalled out in defensive situations as well.
'They'd only have to give someone a decent stare and the yellow card was out of the pocket , it was like the referees had gone out with preconceived ideas of what they would do and punished them whether they were guilty of anything bad or not," he said.
Speaking out so strongly against referees won't of course endear Keinzley to soccer administrators but the end of the premier division season signalled his retirement from coaching Wairarapa United teams, something he has done for the past 11 seasons, and he is therefore free to say exactly what he thinks.
"I've been really peeved off for most of this season about how the Fijians have been refereed out of games but I haven't been able to express those thoughts until now," he said. "It's good to get it off the chest, it's been so damn annoying"
Keinzley is pleased, however, that apart from Dauniseka the Fijian connection in the Wairarapa United side will be available again in 2007 with Rabo, Valevou and Gataurua all in the process of taking up permanent residency.
"They have brought elements of flair and skill which we haven't seen before locally and they have been grand value for not only Wairarapa United but soccer in general," he said. "We now have youngsters copying their style of play and that's the sort of rub off we want."
Keinzley agrees though that it wasn't only the treatment meted out the Fijians by the referees which stopped Wairarapa United from producing results akin to their true potential this season.
He said hopes were high that another of their "imports". Solomon Islands international Stanley Waita, would be a big asset to them but after being allowed to fly to his homeland to be with his family during civil unrest there-at Keinzley's own expense-he had not honoured an agreement to return here . Rather he transferred to a Waikato-based club without informing Wairarapa United off his intentions.
"We weren't happy with that but the national heirachy ruled there was nothing we could do about it," Keinzley said.
A lack of goal scorers in their midfield also cost Wairarapa United, according to Keinzley. He said players in this area had contributed many goals when the side won the Capital first division competition in 2005 but they didn't have anywhere near the same effect this year.
"Obviously you expect the strikers to get the bulk of the goals but it's a real bonus when the midfield chips in on a regular basis too," he said. "Unfortunately that didn't happen as often as we would like this season."
But it wasn't all doom and gloom for Wairarapa United either with Keinzley delighted at the impact made by another of the "imports" in James Oxtoby and at the progress made by local players such as Troy Burling.Aaron Spierling, Andy Robertson and Carl Shailer.
"If you had asked me a couple of seasons back if some of those players would now be certainties for the top squad I would have said no way." he said. "Their improvement has been remarkable and, what's more, there is even better to come from them."
Keinzley is confident too that Wairarapa United will make a strong showing again in premier division play next season.
He believes moist of the current squad will be available again and while he won't name names he is sure finding a suitable coach won't be a problem either. "I know there is interest from certain quarters and they will do a good job," he said.
For Keinzley himself coaching is out of the question-he has had 20 seasons in all without a break- but he is giving thought to seeking the presidency of the Carterton club, which holds the franchise for Wairarapa United.That way he could ensure that the new coaching team would not have to shoulder the responsibilities of day to day administration as well,something which he knows himself can become a heavy burden.
"I don't know if they (Carterton)want me so there is certainly nothing definite about it," he said. "Having a complete break is enticing too??..we'll just wait and see what happens.".