The 48 hour rule exists to prevent teams sitting on knowledge from game 1 off a season and conveniently bringing it up at the end.
Even if Northern brought it to light within 48 hours of their final game at most they'd be given the loss for a single league game.
So you are saying its up to the other teams to check Auckland's admin rather than Auckland getting it right in the first place?
Given that Emma Fletcher required an ITC as she'd last played in Canada you'd have thought that would have been a clue...
That seems to be what the rules suggest?