Just been clicking about on the super league website and it says only 6 overseas trained players are allowed next year. At the moment we have Webb Donald Buderus Leuluai and Lauititi with Delaney and Eastwood on their way is 7, so is someone leaving? or does the new system still have loopholes to boost the number of overseas players? www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=346

Just been clicking about on the super league website and it says only 6 overseas trained players are allowed next year. At the moment we have Webb Donald Buderus Leuluai and Lauititi with Delaney and Eastwood on their way is 7, so is someone leaving? or does the new system still have loopholes to boost the number of overseas players? www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=346

I speculate that Ali may be exempt given he's over 5 years in now.

Wasn't astwood applying for a British passport becuase his dad was born in Shuddersfield or something??

buderus has a pet hamster from pets at home in leeds so he is exempt as well.

Loz and Oldham are both OK now, they used to support other teams, but now have been at the club for just over 5 years, so qualify!

None of that is relevant. It's been changed to 'non EU trained' hasn't it.

None of those mentioned were trained at a club outside of Aus/NZ.

The system still has loopholes in that basically will require players like Lauitiiti, Webb, Donald and Leuluai to leave the country before Leeds will have to meet the limits. They still need to comply with the home grown and trained regulations though within the 1st team squad of 25 named players.

Or at least that's my basic understanding of the regulations.

There's a certain irony that at a time when overseas numbers are being ever more restricted Leeds' reliance on them is increasing.

There must be some kind of omission for certain players otherwise Wigan, Hull KR, Wakefield, Catalans and Celtic would all have been over limit for this season.

Plus I seem to remember something involving Simon Finnigan a year or so ago about him trying to prove he was exempt from the quota?

I could have made it up of course. Done far too much thinking for one day.

Stanley Gene, i think I read, threatened to challenge and the league succombed and made loopholes for players already here.

Well quite. Their lacklustre and non-commital approach to developing a succesful academy that helps to further the careers of young british players is to be deplored.

Which of course I never said.

Leeds will have seven of their first choice seventeen not eligible to play for any home national side and that is an increase on the recent Headingley situation. That I find ironic at a time that the overseas trained allowance is being reduced year on year.

The fact that leeds are increasingly looking overseas highlights a partial failure of their own much vaunted Academy production line.

absolutely. what with such a talent pool in the untapped resources of NL1 and the cumberland league you'd think they might be looking there to recruit.

You don't find it ironic that Leeds' reliance on overseas players is increasing as the RFL are actively seeking to reduce it?

Are you been ironic!! or do you not keep up with new signings?

Doesn't Scott Donald qualify under the same rules as Maurie Fa'asavalu (residency)? I hope Tony Smith doesn't use this loophole as I disagree with it but it could happen.

I think you're being rather disingenuous in your accusation to be honest

How can Leeds win with you?

All season long you moaned about or lack of recruitment of a right centre and a forward. We bring two regulars in for next year from the NRL and we're now too reliant on non GB players.

I personally agree with tvoc on the overseas front though - 7 is too many. If you take a step back for a second its actually WAY too many for any side. Quite frankly I'd rather rely on Coady, Ratu and Watkins for centre and Amor and Pitts for prop than bring in Eastwood and Delaney. But they'll be here next year and I'll support them.

I share your sentiment but I wasn;t the one moaning all season that the club hadn't got players like Eastwood and Delaney here.

Players like Worrall, Gibson, Watkins, Ratu and Ablett have always had MY full support.

Where have I said these players must come from the NRL?

There are three possible recruitment areas:

1 - From within the Academy structures
2 - From within the domestic game, including the Championship
3 - From the NRL

The quota next season is set at six, Leeds thus far have contracted seven including extending the deals for Leuluai and Donald. The Donald extension was puzzling as at the time he was out of form, appeared almost dis-interested (Cummins like) and there were several calls on here for him to be replaced. I'd have favoured Watkins and/or Broughton to take that spot for 2010.

Seven overseas players is too high IMO (we're not Wigan) and is at a level not seen at Leeds for many years I would imagine.

Above all else though I find it ironic that Leeds are increasing it's reliance on overseas players at a time the RFL are actively reducing the numbers permitted. I think as I've stated before it highlights a partial failure of the once famed Academy structures run by the club.

He's still overseas trained though.

I've no idea. He'll have been here five seasons by the end of his current contract in 2010.

Quota wise he'll always be overseas trained but now excluded from the limit (probably?) on the grounds of him being contracted before the new regulations came into force. Giving clubs the ability to retain overseas players in addition to the quota while they continue to pay lip service to the development of the British game.

I'm sure Leeds are not alone.

All you have to do to confirm we're not alone is count up the number of overseas players at every other club - we've put ourselves right back to average for next season. Which means every other side will also be exploiting similar loopholes.

I suspect that Gibson won't be the last to leave BTW, as for next year we'll have (presumably) Donald, Delaney, Senior and Hall starting threequarters with Watkins, Ratu and Coady in reserve, plus Broughton. Coady aside, as he's making a massive step up in standard, I can't really see any of the others being that happy with the promise of the odd game due to injury - and neither should they be. You'd almost have to add BJB to that list as well because if he's going to feature as reserve full back he'll need the odd first team game as well I would have thought.

Anyway, it'd be interesting to hear the rationale of the club for such an expansion of overseas players. They'd probably say its down largely to the failure of the Academy to bring kids of sufficient quality into the squad and the cost of signing 'high-profile' English players. Having said that, they must have an awful lot of faith in Amor and Pitts for example, who're both completely unproven yet have three-year deals.

They'll be on peanuts though, and if they prove themselves will be worth an upgrade

That'll be the place the likes of Gibson, Watkins and Worrall came from. Players you have bemoaned as not being good enough for the 1st team this year.

That'll be the place the likes of Coady, Pitts and Amour have come from. Players you moaned about because they were unlikely to contribute this season.
That'll be the place Delaney and Eastwood have come from.

Like I say, Leeds just can't win with you.

Do you think Leeds offered Donald a deal ion the basis of a dozen games form? He was out of form but over the previous three seasons he had shown himself to be the best winger in the comp, form he has now re-discovered. Thank goodness Leeds did re-sign him.

I've seen most of Leeds games this year, not just those on the telly, and to say Donald was dis-interested, depiste his lack of form, is just patently wrong.

I can hear your complainig now if Leeds wwre to have released a dream team winger and played a youngster like Broughton who then went on to struggle like Watkins has this year.

Again, another instance of Leeds being unable to do right to satisfy you.

I agree. But you have regularly said you want the chief exec to do everything to provide the coach with a squad capable of winning as much as we can. Isn't he doing that within the constraints of the present regulations? You want to tie one hand behind his back and then moan about him not doing enough.

How are the RFL actively reducing the numbers permitted? By coming up with the crazy scheme that Leeds are following? You're lauding the RFL and complaining about Leeds. It was the RFL that introduced this.