Originally Posted by
GIGS20
Bally, I don't think anybody on the site would have an issue with what you have suggested if that is the truth of the situation.
Yes, if the blokes who play finals are genuinely qualified and unavailable for other matches it does make some sense.
If the club are pushing players of a higher grade down to qualify them...that's not exactly cricket, but it's legal, so (despite some sour grapes from various angles) play on. If, on the other hand, the team is submitting team sheets which are blatantly fraudulent, that is an issue which needs to be dealt with.
That is the accusation, and it's a dangerous one. If it has happened (and I can't tell you whether it has) it indicates that the people who did it are short on integrity and on concern for their players. As only one example of the shit that could go down....what happens if the player who isn't listed on the team sheet gets injured? where is his insurance cover going to come from? The whole team, including the bloke whose name was wrongly placed upon the team sheet should be up in arms about it.
If OTOH it didn't happen (and I assume Bally, you'd be saying that) the accusation is tantamount to defamation, the club has been accused of being, not only cavalier with the law, but not playing the game in the spirit of which Rugby is so rightly proud.
You can't blame the members of those clubs for being passionate in their defense of these accusations, because of the severity which most rugby people would view such a lie.
Like I said, I don't know which side is telling the truth, but to whichever side isn't...Shame, just shame!