www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 66,00.html Seems Bird's people are trying evrything to get him with a club. Walters sounds quite pesimisitc about signing him but I reckon he's a better chance of getting a visa to play in France. IIIRC Sonny Bill has a bit of form and he seemed to have no trouble getting a visa to play union for Toulon. Could be that Bird gets in. If that were to happen it'd be interesting to see where that left our deal. Dead in the water?

www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 66,00.html Seems Bird's people are trying evrything to get him with a club. Walters sounds quite pesimisitc about signing him but I reckon he's a better chance of getting a visa to play in France. IIIRC Sonny Bill has a bit of form and he seemed to have no trouble getting a visa to play union for Toulon. Could be that Bird gets in. If that were to happen it'd be interesting to see where that left our deal. Dead in the water?

Dead in the water if he joined the Catalans that's for sure. Wouldn't be a huge surprise if he did decide to join them if he get's the necessary paperwork. He has a living to earn like the rest of us.

bradfords backdoor open for bird

How? It says its doing it to bypass the uks visa system, by playing in france doesnt need uk visa, if decided to come to bradford via cats would still need a valid uk visa, so no backdoor open at all.

I assume that he meant that Bird was about to f*** us up the a***.

Not sure about this but if he gets a visa to go to France does that allow him to work in the UK every fortnight? He`s not an EU citizen so I`m guessing the right to work anywhere in Europe doesn`t apply just because he would be living there.

dont think it would be an issue tbh. Afaik players only need a work permit for the country they are based in. ie our overseas players only get a uk work permit and that covers them for our visit to catalans. So if bird gets a french visa it should cover him for catalans away games too. The fact he'd be playing 13 games outside france as opposed to our lads going over once or twice in the season may have an effect but I dont think it does.

To get a visa to play in the UK according to an article in the RLW you need a letter from the RFL endorsing the signing. But is this the same with a french visa? Surely the RFL couldn't endorse this signature as he has already had a transfer to one team go into limbo due to a visa restriction.

Also would this mean he could only play in home matches?

This is great news for the Catalans. They let every club in superleague suss out who is available and willing to come over from the NRL. Then they sit back and snap them up when the visa fails.

They will save a lot of money by not having to approach anyone themselves or appoint scouts.

But,knowing what we do about the RFL, would you wager a bet on it?

He can't be registered with the RFL by a UK club, because he can't get permission to be in the country, the RFL would have no grounds to stop him being registered by the Dragons.

Anyway he is off to France to play union apparently.

you need an offshore account

would this approval not come from the French RL authorities, rather than the RFL?

Do Catalans come under the control of the RFL?

Yes because they play in an RFL competition.

stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/news/l ... 44105.aspx CRONULLA Sharks' rising Kiwi star Fraser Anderson's move to rugby follows the decision by his Sharks team-mate Dustin Cooper to also take up a Japanese rugby contract. The Sharks yesterday denied any moves had been made, but they are likely to begin negotiations with off contract Melbourne player Michael Crocker, who has played under coach Ricky Stuart for Australia and at the Roosters

stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/news/l ... 44105.aspx CRONULLA Sharks' rising Kiwi star Fraser Anderson's move to rugby follows the decision by his Sharks team-mate Dustin Cooper to also take up a Japanese rugby contract. The Sharks yesterday denied any moves had been made, but they are likely to begin negotiations with off contract Melbourne player Michael Crocker, who has played under coach Ricky Stuart for Australia and at the Roosters

But they have no control over visas surely?

That's my reckoning. Border control aren't about to change their minds about letting him in.

I think you can travel to and from France with a criminal record.

Why would he be allowed to work here when he's been specifically refused exactly that though? The only difference is his employer is French. He's not an EU citizen, surely the same rules that prevent him working here for a British employer still apply.

I assume he needs the visa to get a work permit to be employed in the UK. He is not being employed in the UK but isworking there as part of his remit as an employee of a French company.

If not every foreign businessman (from outside the EU) would have to have their criminal records checked before they could enter the country.

sonny bill has criminal record

He wouldn't be working here though would he? He would be working in France. There is nothing to stop him having a quick game of rugby while he is over for the weekend though.

Bird to be a French brickie?

Bird to RU now www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 497730.htm

Bird to RU now www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 497730.htm