I should clarify in as much I only think it is a good draw from the POV of the team. If we had to draw Catalans, then I'd 100% rather we were playing them away, as it represents a chance for the team to "get away from it all" and go somewhere where, if they end up losing, it won't be a major shock, so away from here, away from the present furore, and with little or no pressure, gives them a chance to play without fear and in a different atmosphere.

Whereas at the moment we would be playing in front of 3,000 largely hostile fans at home, and losing another home game, if we did, would be viewed as yet another total disaster. The pressure would be enormous.

Of course for my own convenience and our other fans I'd love to always be at home, but that wasn't my point.

Having to play [iagainst[/i a player that we actually signed is I agree barking and bite-hard-on-a-leather-strap infuriating. The RFL are powerless to stop it, though, and whilst I have been posting on other threads that the Border Agency won't at least let him in for our home game, frankly it would surprise no-one if they did, such is the general incompetence of our national authorities, and such appears to be the utter mess and confusion caused by the present new immigration process. I read Hood's letter to RLLE and (as you might have expected, though not one or two big mouths on here and elsewhere) contrary to "not having checked it out", the club had actually received documentation and had a visit from the Border Agency about the new "rules", as had all clubs. The Bulls therefore were not at all at fault for the debacle. Hood is furious, and scathing of the Border Agency, and rightly so.

As for the away draw, in the Cup rounds we are away in 99.9% of all draws so I reckon we should just get used to it, we're not due a home draw in the rounds now till 2032.

Whats your point? shouldn't you be concerned with your useless team at the moment.

You can't possibly believe there's a conspiracy can you?

Really ed off with the draw. It's not that I don't want us to play a strong team, it's just that I can't afford two trips to France in three weeks.

The last Bulls first team game I missed was also a fourth round CC game, that was 1997 though and at least I had 9 hours at double time to console me!!

QED.

Andrea is about as committed a Bulls fan as you are ever likely to come across and I can quite imagine how she'll feel about this.

I rest my case, m'lud.

Are you saying they have an easy draw?

He didn't. Maybe you think so?

Easier and more lucrative financially than had they had been drawn away.

That WAS the point the poster was making, wasn't it?

Last year?
Against Quins?

Which year was it that we played you in the first round AWAY and knocked you out at valley Parade???

We were playing away too that year IIRC...?

I dont know about lucrative, both saints and leeds gave a free ticket to round 4 with the season ticket, as the combined numbers add up to their capacity, they could have a full ground without taking £1!

I was saying this last night. The bonus though is that it will look superb on the beeb as their should be a superb crowd.

As did Bulls. For what good it did us.

I'm assuming it was some RFL-funded initiative to improve attendances in the earlier rounds, and that clubs would receive compo from the prize money pot or central funds or whatever. If not, then your point is more valid although there's still money to be made from the beer etc!

[url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/03/10/RUGBYL_Catalans.htmlThis is just taking the pîss even more now[/url

Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend.

>>>>>Border Agency

Hope he bloody well can, else we'll be up against him twice and Leeds will escape.

Its not the RFL or Cat's fault. In the slightest. Its this useless useless scumbag vermin UK administration.

Come the revolution brother...

realistically I fully expect there to be reasons why he cant travel to uk on each possible occasion before his court case to avoid catalans the embarassment/bad publicity of him being turned away. Which means If gets convicted then the only SL clubs to have to play against him will be cas,wigan and us twice. Thats what really pee's me off about the situation.
If a player isnt eligible to play for one superleague club for legal reasons then RFL should refuse to register him for any of the other 13 too. We now have a situation where catalans can sign players with NRL problems, on more lenient french visas, that are unavailable to the rest of Superleague and because catalans are there only possible destination they presumably wont have to pay as much as they might in a free market.

Owing to the vagueries of the work permit / visa laws this couldn't be seen through without all players applying for permits in both countries every time. E.g. if Bird had gone striaght to Cats without trying us first then how would we have known that he was ineligible for the UK and so how could the RFL ban him?

It does seem ridiculous that he can play for one club but not another owing to different rules but there doesn't seem to be any avoiding it.


At least it's not the RU where the French teams in the European cup don't have a salary cap like the British and Irish ones do!

you've got point there but if they've been refused for one country then surely theres a case for blocking them from signing for a team playing in the other on the rebound, especially as the french visa system is seemingly much laxer than ours so 99% of the time it is going to be catalans who get the advantage.

Any dates/times for these ties yet? It would be a bummer to book flights out assuming the game is on the Sat, flying back on Sun then find out the game is being televised on the Sunday...

I assume that Leeds - Saints will be one televised tie. Catalans - Bulls could be a good choice for the other. It will be a weekend out for the BBC guys too...

Absolutely fair, but it's the sort of one that would be put in place only to fall away the second that someone challenges it. I could imagine it becoming a cause celebre in France if the English were seen to be trying to impose English law over the French.

Actually, come to think of it this could become the issue that could break RL through in the French conscious....

An oxymoron, if the hard drinking Catalans lads we met last year are anything to go by

The French sense of belittling indifference.....

You are on TV at 14:30 on the Sunday

Saves a few pound!!

Well that's a bit of good news. At least I won't miss seeing the match.

No doubt it will be on the big screen at the Top house. Might be a good one to see in the pub and at least be in a crowd watching the game. If they got someone to throw fireworks around and p!ss all over the place, it'll be just like the real thing!

Darn it, what can I moan about now?