Not even in a parallel universe did or would Benny Lewis impact any game in this league.

Perhaps everyone would prefer Melbourne turned up with an undermanned and short team just make the league look a little more ridiculous.

Dodgy as hell, but not surprising.

just the normal faking crap and making it up as you go along for so many aspects of this club and team.. With so many injuries as a club I would be looking at why that is occurring... Ankles 'why aren't they strappng?' And what is contributing to it all... Nutrition, recovery, gym, courts....... Etc...

As usual the new NBL has so many grey areas just like the salary issues not being released and vague rulings, no wonder the reffing is so bad.... Don't tell anyone anything attitude.... Is the organisation run by a bunch of lawyers ?????

Go back the last few years and look at precedents. Joey has had the same injury woes in years past as had other coaches and the all had to have their replacements players ready for last 8 games sitting on the bench suited up and hit the court even if for a few seconds. There were issues for teams trying to get working visas through as well... So thinking this is why they are mentioning words like dodgy and cheating as they know the process first hand...joey is the only ne with the guts to say it though others are likely thinking it...

To make finals that is

When it comes to rules, inconsistency and doing things on the fly the NBL has always been a joke.

A strong framework consistently applied is important.

With that said, it's clear the NBL is in a transition phase under LK and part of that does include a fair bit of flexibility and adapting to situations while that strong framework is being created.

I don't think this is a situation where Melbourne have been naughty - the idea of special dispensation is like the "exceptional circumstance" clause of anything to avoid absurdity.

If you've got a club which can't field a 10 player side due to injury, it's a fair call to allow injury replacement. Really, that is an exceptional circumstance.

Plus with 7 games left, I don't think it's in the interest of the league to deprive Melbourne of injury replacements - I don't see it as an anti-competitive use of a loophole.

Injury replacements have always been allowed to return if there's a season ending injury.

Yes he should be slapped with moderate force on the wrist and fined $3.50

To me the rules just need to be simplified

Allow injury replacements to fill in for any injury, ala Bennie Lewis can fill in for anyone injured on the Melbourne roster

Make it so all players have to be on the squad for a set number of games, i.e 7 and get rid of all the other rules and complications, review the number each off season and announce it before the season starts, this is more important for imports i suppose or top notch aussies who may finnish a gig elsewhere

Or even have a date ie. 10th of January, where teams typically will have 7-10 games left and say after this date only DP's and already registered injury replacements can fill in for injuries.

Much simpler to understand and less room for manipulation.

Personally i have no problems with what melbourne have done replacing Moore, they have 7 games left, and he seems to have a similar level resume, so it seems like a genuine injury replacement, they havnt just faked an injury to get a NBA/Euroleague level import in for the run home.

The NBL could even have a list of injury replacement players such as Bennie Lewis, Lucas Walker (fringe NBL players), SEABL players with 0/little NBL experience (could even allow SEABL imports like Jackson and Kendle types to be on this list), that can be called upon at anytime to fill in, even if a injury happens after the 7 game mark, to allow a club to fill a full sqaud.

This limits manipulation of the rules

Nothing to report here, no rules were broken.

Wright should spend less time on social media, I would've thought he'd have learnt his lesson after the Kickert incident? Pull your head in Joey.

As the coach of the highest-paid-and-most-dodgy team in NBL history led by Eddie Groves, Wright should perhaps be more consistent in his own thinking before accusing others of inconsistencies!

What lesson LV? Since the Kickert incident his team has won 11 of 12 games.

Sounds pretty dodgy. I bet the other clubs share Joey Wrights opinion and I wonder if Melbourne make the Finals what the NBL's statement would be?

NZ had to release Tueta when Ili came back from injury and boy would he have been handy to have now

What is it with Twitter wars and winning? First Trump....now the 36ers

Meh. The wording of the rules is a bit silly. To qualify for the finals you must suit up for 25%, ie 7 games, but the way the other rule is written if you have ONLY 25% left you can't be added.
So obviously you need to get him registered before that 21st game, which is what MU supposedly did.
So what's the issue?
For mine, that's not a loophole, almost the opposite. He'll qualify for final if he plays in the last 7 games, but he had to be registered before the last 8. If MU complied, what's the problem?

As for bringing back an injury replacement, firstly the prohibition on re-adding a previous player to the list is a dubious rule, and secondly there has always been an exemption for season-ending injuries, which MU has in abundance.

Not sure what the story is here?

Media announcements are rarely made the same time the contracts are actually signed.

How do we know they complied?
How do we know anybody complied?

Any nong can make up allegations, if you want to allege wrongdoing the onus is on you to provide proof, not on them to prove their innocence.

And how is it backwards.
Obviously MU know the rules and would have concentrated on getting his registration in before the deadline.
They'd look a bit bloody stupid if they did it the other way around, announced his signing on Thursday, then tried to register a day late.

Meanwhile, Gibson is probably gone for season with calf injury. How about those Bullets and their injuries. LK curse.

Paul, the lesson that the basketball community is starting to realise what a wanker he is

No, the rules are simple, if a bit nonsensical.
A player must play 25% (ie 7 games) to qualify for the finals.
HOWEVER he can only be registered if the team has played LESS than 75%.
So, provided he plays games 22-28, he will qualify for finals, BUT he must be registered before game 21.

So there's a misalignment there, but there's nothing nefarious in MU making sure they comply, by registering him prior to game 21, even though he might not even be in the country.

I don't think Joey cares about that LV.

As for Melbourne's injuries, while losing Goulding and Blanchfield for a few games has hurt, and Moore's absence probably will too, losing Williams and Andersen has made them a better team with Boone as back-up C and Barlow spreading the floor as PF.

Yeah it will be interesting seeing how Andersen fits back in. Barlow has changed the look, and is playing well enough defensively such that they don't seem to be missing DA.

Oh and it does remain a mystery why DD seems to prefer Adnam over Tomlinson...

What other sport allows Coaches to communicate constantly with certain coaches and players continually approach a referee during the course of a game, as well as players handling the referee? (In any other sport a serious offence)
Certain referees (one a full time referee)spend to much time listening and getting into a discussion with these vocal coaches continually throughout the course of a game, obviously over previous infringements or decisions as can be seen from the gesturing and hand signals. Surely there is a time and place where a coach can raise his concerns of rule interpretation and application, and during the course of a game is not that place.
Nothing has changed with inconsistent and poor refereeing even though the administration of the referee panel has changed hands numerous times over recent years. Inconsistent application of rules swings wildly over the course of a season and there seems to be an emphasis on certain infringements from week to week. Earlier in the season it was flopping now it is travelling. Very rarely is flopping called now yet players are again blatantly flopping in an effort to draw a foul. Call all the fouls, both ways as not all fouls are caused by the defensive player. Travelling was once very seldom called but lately is being called quite consistently during the course of a game, but too frequently the call is incorrect and travelling did not occur.
Isn't it about time that the referees are judged on their interpretation and administration of those rules in a consistent manner and if they can not then they should be sent back to a lower grade. This is professional sport and should be run as such both on and off court.

Melbourne United benefit from the way that the Double Header games have been fixture this season. It would seem that those clubs that could be assumed to be rivals of Melbourne making the finals have had to endured more double header weekends with the one day break than Melbourne. Melbourne's luck of the draw also includes double header weekends played at home.