Waikato face player probe

By WYNNE GRAY

Semifinal contenders Waikato could be docked 10 points for allegedly fielding several ineligible players in their NPC victories against Auckland and Southland.

Breach notices have been served on Waikato, Southland and King Country, alleging the provinces did not have international clearances for players used during the NPC.

Waikato are third on the first division table with 16 points behind Taranaki on 23 and Wellington on 20, and play Otago tonight at Carisbrook.

Auckland lawyer Chris Morris is investigating for the New Zealand Rugby Union and expects to reveal his findings next week.

He is probing alleged transfer irregularities by Joel McKenty and Toby Lynn from Waikato, Marcus Seuseu from Southland and David Faville from King Country.

Until his decisions are revealed, TAB rugby bookie Mark Stafford confirmed that betting on the winners of all three divisions and the top four in the first division had been suspended.

Waikato used loose forward McKenty as a late sub in the wins against Southland and Auckland, while he and lock Lynn played in the loss to Wellington.

McKenty is alleged to have returned to Waikato from a club rugby contract in Ireland and Lynn from a club deal in Scotland without the necessary clearances.

Please explain letters reached Waikato last week and they have until today to respond to the NZRFU about the allegations.

A number of unions have been found guilty of a variety of transfer breaches this season, starting with the row over Colin Bourke's move from Hawkes Bay to Bay of Plenty.

Of most concern to Waikato will be a ruling by Morris last week that Wanganui contravened the eligibility rules by playing former Irish club player Darren Balcombe in their second division match against Marlborough.

Wanganui won 28-14, but later had their maximum points deducted and were fined $5000 for the player breach.

"We are naturally concerned about anything like this," Waikato chief executive Gary Dawson said yesterday. "The worry is that potentially we could lose points or be fined."

Dawson was confident, however, that his province's lawyers had covered the issues in their submissions to the NZRFU and hoped their arguments were self-explanatory.

"I am not just putting on a brave face. We have had over a week to look at this and prepare our case. We are confident there are a number of mitigating circumstances."

Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew was disappointed at the number of alleged transfer breaches this season and said the process was not complicated.

"We have been stricter this year and taken a closer look at the player information to make sure their eligibility is accurate," he said.

If provinces were in any doubt, they had to ask the NZRFU to check their records.

Dawson confirmed the process, but said it never crossed Waikato's mind that McKenty or Lynn might be ineligible.

Nor did he think anyone had dobbed in Waikato. "I think it is just that the NZRFU has gone through their player registration records and thought they had not seen some players' clearances. They were just doing an audit."