Surprised nobody has said owt on here about the disgusting decision to allow the Catalan Dragons to register this 'alleged' thug.

So this a club who play in the same competition as a team that could not sign him the other week but because they are in England and come under British visa rules its okay for a French team to take him on?
What a total shambles, what message does this send out?
I thought the guy should not even be considered to play over here anyway with his ban in Oz, but SL are so desparate they let anybody in and now even if he is banned by the British Authorities.

They will just allow anything for these expansion clubs won't they?
I should not be shocked by the decisions made by the RL authotities over here really should I?

The decision is nothing to do with the RFL but the decision of the French government whose visa laws are different to ours. RFL are powerless to stop this due to EU work rules as well. However he can be turned away at british ports when he comes to play here. That seems unlikely when they let any tom dick and harry in!

I may be mistaken but if he plays a certain amount if time in France the goverment can't then stop him coming to play in Britain

Only if stops in France 3 years and the applies for French citizen ship.

Remember we are a team who gave Dave Watson, Jamie Bloem and Sean Penkywicz second chances.

Paul Davidson was hardly an 'angel' off the pitch now was he?

Danny Heaton

The simplest way around this and other problems with imported players is to likit each club to ONE. No fiddling of the rules, Catalans for example would have to have a squad full of French players plus one if they desire.
It's the only way we're going to compete with NZ and the Aussies in the future years, we don't even have the unification of GB now, we have four countries and all of those four home nations have foreign players in the most recent squads.
Clubs at all levels of the game would be a lot more choosey and detailed about which foreign players they can sign in. It would put an end to the SL pension fund to spent foreign players which has been going on for far too long.
At a recent under 14's match that I watched there were scouts who I am familiar with from the following clubs. Warrington, Bradford, Leeds, Salford, Hull. And Halifax were represented in some capacity. The clubs need to concentrate more on this line of recruitment than filling squads up with foreign Johnny, just look into the rules & regs about homegrown players for the next few years.
I've mentioned it loads of times on this messageboard but the clubs have to have some honesty & integrity about themselves, just think how many players have been refused visa's in this season alone, start to look on your own doorstep !!!! The SL clubs are in the best position of all, they have three seasons to develop their current youths at their clubs, they don't have to worry about meeting criteria such as winning cups, GF's etc etc, they have full time enviroments to work with their squads, not a rainy tuesday thursday & saturday morning with part time players on dog-dirt ridden council facilities.

The difference being these players were already resident here.

I think he was replying to the 'thug' tag.

I'm not on about the residency, I'm on about Bird being an aparrent thug.

Would you have the same sentiments about British players being refused visas by other countries?

SL Clubs do not care about the National team , the game or even about players who do not make the gade in many cases. They are only interested in themselves and making sure they do the bare mimium to stay in SL under the franchise b*****. Wigan full of c*** Aussies as is Salford, Wakey, Cas, Hull KR etc. What has Bradford, Salford and Huddersfield done about developing the game in their own area? Little as its easier to come to get talent and fans from Halifax, Leigh, Oldham etc. Strange how Quins can field a team with more English players in then most SL teams! The Pro game is full of c*** and bringing c*** coaches like Nathan Brown across is laughable-what has he achieved ever?

The RFL, BARLA and the amateur game should be looking more at how to improve facilities at amateur clubs and how to improve training standards at Youth level especially. But they do not really care as each has its own agenda and own excuses.






[i=blueEdited by TS[/i

Yer but AFTER they had served their time not while the 'jury is out' and the RL in Oz have banned the guy.

Totally - we should not let players in through the 'back door'

Yer I was not overjoyd that we still played him, as I have put my point is mainly that Bird was banned in Oz and he has come over to SL purely cos he cannot play over there, like again I said the 'back door'

And don't we know it. The yellow barstewards let them in, give them free rail if travelling north and a leaflet at Sangat explaining how to open the back door of a HGV. Signing for Catalans is the first step of him popping out of a calderdale weelie bin early next week and signing on for England Giant Rhino Warriors.