Newcastle Falcons coach cleared of any wrongdoing
The Newcastle Falcons, and their coach Paul Moriarty breathed a sigh of relief on Monday 15 November as Moriarty was cleared by the Rugby Football Union after an investigation into allegations of injury faking.
Moriarty had been accused of having a player fake an injury after Kieran Brookes withdrew from a match against Northampton with a rib injury in October before the half. At half time, Moriarty gave an interview
saying that Brookes would be back to replace another injured player. Shortly thereafter Tim Ryan was withdrawn from the game due to an ostensible injury, and Brookes was put back in to replace him. It caused suspicion that Moriarty had Ryan fake an injury
in order to let Brookes back in after he’d rested. A player cannot return to the game after being subbed out, unless there is a case of injury.
But in a statement released by RFU disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett, it was revealed the RFU didn’t think that Ryan’s injury was faked.
"An inference could be drawn from Moriarty's statement to the media that Newcastle had planned to give Brookes a break and then fabricate an injury to Ryan so that he could return to the game after a rest,”
said Blackett."However, I am satisfied that there was no intention to cheat. Ryan had been injured during the week and although passed fit to play it was clear at half-time that he would not last the rest of the match.”
Blackett said that though Moriarty was able to accurately predict another player would be withdrawn due to injury, there was nothing suspicious about it. Rather, Blackett said, Moriarty simply knew Ryan would
not be able to play out the second half.
"Ryan had been injured during the week and although passed fit to play it was clear at half-time that he would not last the rest of the match,” he explained in the statement.
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