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So,, let me get this straight.....the organisers did not pick this up beforehand???
Apparently they didn’t know until Thursday night and was to late to get a replacement, but that same player played earlier this year against Fiji
 

off-tap-robbie

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Cedars stripped of win after having two players disqualified

Lebanon have been stripped of their World Cup 9s victory over France due to using an under-age player in that match.

Lebanon coach Rick Stone refused to blame the disqualification the players for his team falling short of a shock semi-final berth at the tournament.

The Cedars and Papua New Guinea's women's team were forced to play without two squad members each after tournament organisers advised that players who had not yet turned 18 were ineligible.


North Queensland's Jacob Kiraz had lined up for Lebanon in their first game against France on Friday but sat out of Saturday's win over England and loss to Wales.

Under International Rugby League rules, players only need to be 16 to play for their countries and Kiraz played for Lebanon in the mid-year Test against Fiji at Leichhardt Oval.

However, he and Cronulla SG Ball centre Jordan Samrani were not allowed to play in the World Cup 9s due to that tournament's rules.

Lebanon have been stripped of the points earned in the France match, but the competition points were not awarded to France.

Orchids players Joyce Waula, 16, who was a member of the PNG women's Nines team which won the silver medal at this year's Pacific Games, and 17-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl Sera Koroi, were also unable to play.

An appeal to tournament organisers after Friday night's round of matches was unsuccessful due to health and safety concerns.

IRL chief executive Nigel Wood said players had to be 18 to participate in the World Cup 9s at Bankwest Stadium and that was communicated to all nations.

"That's why the decisions have been taken… you'd prefer to be looking at the on-field action and not off-field stories. It's regrettable and something that everything has to learn from – tournament organisers, us as the federation and also the nations themselves," Wood said.

"At the end of the day nations have to pick players eligible."

Woods's words seem at odds with some nations NRL.com spoke to, who said there was no age given in the tournament manual. The IRL allows 16-year-olds to play internationals but they must have permission from a parent or guardian as they are under 18. In the case of the two PNG women players, they had that permission.


"The rules for this tournament were clear and unequivocal. You had to be 18," Woods said, when told of some nations believed IRL laws were the standard.

"We are looking at that generally, because I think there is a little confusion. So we are working through those rules because it's in everyone's interest to be as clear as possible – and this tournament it was absolutely clear."

Wood said there would be no further consequences for Lebanon, as they had already been docked two competition points.

While IRL rules allow 16-year-olds to play, players can not debut in the NRL until they have turned 18.

With the majority of the players in the World Cup 9s from the NRL and Super League competitions, tournament organisers were concerned about players yet to turn 18 playing against professionals and semi-professionals.

The Cedars, whose squad did not include any current NRL players, shocked England 16-13 on Saturday and after beating France on Friday night only needed to win against Wales to ensure a stunning semi-final berth.

However, Lebanon coach Rick Stone refused to blame the loss of Kiraz and Samrani for the loss to the Dragons.

"We were struggling for players actually when we selected our squad and we ended up having two players who were under the age of 18," Stone said.

"Obviously we couldn't play them. It wasn't a big issue, it didn't change too much for us. We played everyone in the game that was over 18 and we weren't good enough.

"We were a little bit tired. We're a pretty young side, been up for the first couple of games and probably lacked a little bit of zip and energy in that game [against Wales]. That's just the way it goes."

Lebanon and PNG officials did not become aware of any eligibility issues until Thursday night and it was too late to call in replacements.

"Jacob Kiraz played for us in the June Test and we were under the impression the rules were going to be the same," Stone said.


"Obviously the NRL is running the game on behalf of the international body and you have to be 18 to play in the NRL and they've obviously transferred those rules across.

"We didn't have to make any changes to our team because those boys hadn't played yet. That was the story."

The Cedars are rebuilding ahead of the 2021 World Cup after the retirement of Robbie Farah and Tim Mannah, while some other NRL players did not play due to a dispute with the Lebanon board.

Stone said he hopes the issue can be resolved soon.

"We'd all love to see that," he said. "We've got to a position where we've probably got 10 players who are playing in the NRL of Lebanese descent. They're eligible to play for us and it'd be great to see those boys playing with some of the young blokes."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/10/19...-semis-after-having-two-players-disqualified/
 

Motorhead

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Mickey Mouse tournament. Staged by a Mickey Mouse organisation.
Mickey Mouse would flog the piss out of Greenberg.
Can't wait for the World Cup 8's tournament.....
 

GrogDog

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There has been some bloody dodgy calls in this comp favouring the scripted teams!
 

Scoooby

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An the silver ferns women win the final, sorry jillaroos:cry:, now hopefully SJ and the bulldog boys beat the kangaroos too :tongueclosed: Make it 2 from 2 which will be a tough ask..!!
 

EXPLORER

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He identified himself as a Lebanese player. I’m not a fan of switching allegiance
I tend to agree
It rather players stay loyal
But the money isn't there for them
 

Howard Moon

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I'm sure if Mitch would have been picked for Australia in the past he would have chosen to play for the country he was born in... I don't think he would look out of place in a test team after the season he has had
 

Mr. Ditkovich

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I enjoyed the games themselves, and think it’s a great concept. Fun, free flowing football and some good tries.

But when things like that call happen, I can see why people are turning away from the game.
 

Horse

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Mickey Mouse tournament. Staged by a Mickey Mouse organisation.
Mickey Mouse would flog the piss out of Greenberg.
Can't wait for the World Cup 8's tournament.....
Agreed. Boring as bat shit

No idea why they’ve staged this at international level when it was a failed format at NRL 9’s level
 

Moedogg

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NRL is doing everything they can to turn fans away with its communist rules.
 

Mitch Connor

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Cowboys posted a story the other day via nrl.com about Jacob Kiraz being 17 and playing in the 9's lol
 

Motorhead

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Laughable competition finishes with a laughable shit ref's decision: fair dinkum the WWE couldn't write up more dodgy shit than this.
What an abortion of an administration the NRL HQ is.
Personal interest level in our game has gone from 100% to basically 0% in the last 2 or 3 years. TODDY GREENBERG: THE MAN WHO FUCKED RUGBY LEAGUE. He should be stood down indefinitely whilst his rape charge against our once-mighty sport is heard.
 

Phalangist

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I'm sure if Mitch would have been picked for Australia in the past he would have chosen to play for the country he was born in... I don't think he would look out of place in a test team after the season he has had

Just question do you consider wills mason to be a Aussie or a kiwi?
 

Howard Moon

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Just question do you consider wills mason to be a Aussie or a kiwi?
a Kiwi if I'm being honest...

Moses was born in Australia and who knows if he has even stepped foot in Lebanon.

I Don't know why people are so upset about it, look at all the island players playing for various countries... the Sims brothers for Fiji.. Austin, Heighington for England... Bennett coaching England, Maguire coaching NZ. I think it's all a bit stupid myself, but Moses in green & gold makes more sense than any of those examples
 

Moedogg

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If everyone played for the countries they were born in there would only be like 5 countries playing......majority of the other Pacific Island countries have players who were born in Aus and NZ..

Australia
England
NZ
PNG
France
 

wendog33

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That Feldt "try"
 

dogluva

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Apparently they didn’t know until Thursday night and was to late to get a replacement, but that same player played earlier this year against Fiji
It defies logic that the NRL did not do anything before it got to the third round game. Do they not check their facts before the event? Apparently from the media reports they had to ask a fourth player to show their licence before they believed he was the age he said he was. Well who would be surprised in anything that the NRL does?
 
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