Doesn't make the RFL look too professional, eh?

This all depends on which rules (if any) have been broken. As I understand it, the 6 players were registered with the RFL to play and therefore, legal in the eyes of the RFL. Proving that the "Club" and not the players were guilty could prove difficult...especially as the players are ofski in a week or so (if not before). If the UKBA approved these visas originally and then jumped on them after the recent change in policy, the club may well be totally innocent



If they lied on their visa paperwork, then they and not the club are guilty (unless the club signed their Visa applications), but to prove any offence by the club will be hard for the RFL. The club are going to be in trouble with UKBA as it is an employers responsibility to check if their staff are legal...........and I suspect that they will be fined heavily.

Which they cant afford to pay

Says who? Sammuels is still worth a few bob. Regardless, £60k in fines can be paid with their SLY TV money or from saved wages as the players were released straight away.

Oh...I see what you're doing. It's like when the RFL "bailed out" the broncos.....an urban myth


Fact is, if the CC are fined, they will have to pay it. The RFL will not give them a penny. They will offer assistance (ie Marketing advice etc...) but no cash.

Most RL fans want a strong game in London/SE and Wales.
British sporting mentality is about promotion and relegation
British sporting culture is about the underdogs day on the big stage, and the dreams that go with it
What happened last year in RL was a disgrace carried out behind a lie by people with a hidden agenda. If they had laid the cards out and said look we need to protect the failing SL clubs and expand into Wales then fair enough, at least we would be an honest sport and we wouldnt have wasted money we couldnt afford to waste on an application that we were never going to get sanctioned.
The RFL are run by clowns with no backbone, personally non SL clubs should break away, bond with BARLA and leave the 14 clubs cast adrift before its too late..

Mo we dont often agree but Im right with you on that one, the trouble now is that some CC clubs will now have the carrot of dual contracts dangling so they can sign some of the SL youngsters/older youngsters they wont see it as them being used as a cheap nursery for the SL sides.
Im losing all faith with the RFL, well what little faith I ever had, as it would seem like the tail is very firmly waving the dog.

As I posted on the VT:
Hotels along the M62

To be honest, I posted this with my tongue in my cheek but as the week drags on, it really is looking like an option for you.
I have no problem with your comment about the RFL stating that wales was in and the race was between the other applicants vieing for 1 spot, but let's face it, Widnes were the only club ready for SL last time round and their finances made it easy for the RFL to overlook them.

Lastly...are you saying that having a team come up every year and either go straight back down or get dispensation on the quota (HKR) is the way to improve the game? Every year the Champ 1 team came up at a disadvantage, recruited middle of the road Australians and struggled and in most cases went down.
If I were a Leigh fan, I have no doubt I would be ticked off at the RFL's behaviour, but to be frank........look what happened to you in your 1 year in the top flight! Are you saying that doing that every second year is either good for your club or the game in general? Getting relegated on a regular basis would only drive disenchanted fans away. Look at the plight of 3 teams in wendyball who tried everything to avoid relegation or go back up the following year? Southampton, Charlton and Norwich are now in free-fall..........and there but for the grace of God goes Rugby League clubs.

HULL KR?

yep...

I can’t be bothered looking for the info but isn’t the fine to the Employer up to 10k per employee?

And haven’t I also read somewhere that the issue is the Visa’s contained false info?

If that’s the case then I would think, that because the club has been working with UKBA, the club has checked that the Players did have Visa’s (albeit incorrect ones), both the Employer and Employee will have been doing everything else correctly ie Paying tax, NI, no frauding of HMG, then I’d be surprised if a 10k fine was imposed.

Agree. It sounds like the visas were OK, but like everything else the civil service do, the goalpostsmoved and the visas then became void.

From what I have read, current visas may have been fine, but they broke the rules (which were different) prior to 2009. Nothing to do with moving goalposts........you are either Richard Lewis or Leighton Samuels

I may just be their b'stard offspring

If true (and I have no reason to doubt what you have read) this is much worse than if they had made a mistake this season.

The book has to be thrown at them but I doubt it will.

I am all for expansion but not by rule bending/favoritism/at the expense of others.

This is not about someone taking our place but about taking the place of another who has earned it legitimately.

where these players who are being deported not the same ones that were not allowed access to the country earlier this year after the training camp in Brisbane, and were finally allowed entry by visas that had them working in the club owners business?
The whole business has nothing to do with certain clubs not being allowed admittance to SLE its about those clubs admitted because of lies and cheats, the RFL has been left with egg on its face again, its the best sport in the world administered by idiots, its not embarrassing its laughable, and no amount of fogging the issue can change that and anyone with a modicum of sense could have predicted something not being all well in Samuels 'Kingdom', ground problems, financial problems, now player problems, what next?

nteresting reading especially the ground news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 176113.stm

nteresting reading especially the ground news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 176113.stm

While Burnley, Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham et al are all at the top table. For every failure, there is a success.

salford again

Plus Bolton, Stoke, Wolves but its futile engaging with the clowns from the VT...

Wasn't going to include Bolton, given their rightful place at the top table

Why not... I`m a Bolton fan but know for the size of the town they`re over performing... long may it continue I hasten to add, as long as Megson goes....

When will any of them clubs win the premier league ? Success in my book is taking part in a competition and have chance to win it. Or is "success" just being able to play the red scousers and Stretford

The season before City

I'll take that bet

Will 9 of the clubs in Super League ever win it? Even with their new-found money, will Citeh ever win it? Point is, on any given day they can win a game in the top flight of their sport, having previously been in the doldrums. To me, that's success.