Looks like Auckland is losing the points: https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/98484
"As New Zealand Football was notified of the matter outside the 48-hour time limit afforded to clubs to protest a result, New Zealand Football did not initially issue a retrospective punishment instead advising the player was ineligible to play in future fixtures."
"citing that the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players is strict on matters of eligibility irrespective of any time limits set out in the competition regulations"
Essentially the RSTP overrules the competition rules. Some interesting thoughts at the end of this though:
- What stops teams from sitting on ineligibility information before appealing at the end of a tournament?
- Auckland self-reported. What's the incentive to do this in future? If they kept their mouths closed it likely never would have been picked up. (not proposing they should escape punishment, just interested to hear what people think)
Auckland did NOT self report in any way shape or form.
I thought I read that they did. Who picked it up?