I'd heard something on the grapevine about them having dodgy visa applications a while back. Can't remember the full details as I was half cut and I tend to dismiss rumours because most of them are a load of rubbish. Anyways I'd heard the players weren't even employed by the club, they were employed by some local factory where they'd turn up for about 2 hours a week. Not an expert on immigration rules so I would guess they were on the worng kind of visa. Either they were on a holiday visa that expired as they couldn't get player permits or a works visa which was deemed invalid as they weren't doing any work.

Of course all of this could still be a load of bull but it makes some sense and adds up with today's announcement.

If you not in superleague you end up bitter unfortunanetly some fans do not know what is like as they not care if they are in already.I am disappointed my team widnes are not in but i believe we just got to get behind our team and pray we get in next time.

I hope Celtic use this as a spur to go onto greater things. Too right they should blood some local youngsters, and they should continue to do so next year as well. They're protected for another two years, so why the hell not?

As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch

As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch

Quote ="Donna"As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch'" No way! If losing 6 of their major players wouldn't finish them off, then I guess could!

Quote ="Donna"As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch'" No way! If losing 6 of their major players wouldn't finish them off, then I guess could!

Quote ="Donna"As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch'" You know what, I was just thinking that. There was an advert a while back suggesting that if the local Pizza place or building site employed an 'illegal immigrant', then the employer was just as guilty of an offence as the employee was. Is this not the case here? Actually I hope not, for the reasons I stated above.

Quote ="Donna"As employers they could get fined: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 455997.ece Ouch'" You know what, I was just thinking that. There was an advert a while back suggesting that if the local Pizza place or building site employed an 'illegal immigrant', then the employer was just as guilty of an offence as the employee was. Is this not the case here? Actually I hope not, for the reasons I stated above.

I thank you !

Exactly mate!! Yet we're the easy touch when it comes to dealing with real illegal immigrants, accept some sob story and never send them back!! Yet a few RL players with visa irregularities are treated like criminals and deported!

Yet more example of the governers of our country purporting to be tough on issues by making examples of those guilty of minor offences as its easy, while the serious issues are swept under the carpet!! The height of irony.

Fear for Celtic though, their 1st season almost exactly replicates PSGs second season and i fear it will be dead before it starts. Its like history repeating....Ground issues, no support, illegal visas, financial difficulties, and sitting at the bottom of the league after being battered in all but a handful of games. Im all for expansion but Catalans are the model you need, build a flagship club to bring together a region with already a decent infrastructure, not just plonk a team wherever the cap fits and is seen to be best for the game!! If we wanted to create a new club they should have gone for a Cumbrian Rep club and fed in top players from barrow, whitehaven and workington, getting the fans of each club interested in the cumbrian team with promotions etc to get their support, in much the same way as catalans

Dear oh dear. Whatever anyone's views on the UK's immigration policy (and I feel they should be kept away from a rugby forum - there is an unpleasant undertone to some of the comments on this thread), we have to see that illegal means illegal. There is no "not really illegal" - something either is or isn't against the law. I quote from the BBC article linked to above:

I'm sure I heard something on the radio recently that the RFL had sent some staff down there to help the club on the admin side of things, is this where the " intelligence " came from ?

Maurice would have sorted out something like this, no problem

I've just posted something similar on the Saints site. Where is the statement from the RFL?

I'd have thought so aye, every job I've had involved proving that I have the right to work in the UK by giving my national insurance number. As mentioned already, it's daft, they're doing nothing wrong coming here to play rugby and don't deserve to be banned from the country at all. Hopefully Celtic will use this as a catalyst to blood new players and improve the game in Wales.

Everyone understands that as I am sure you understand that blanket application of ill thought out or drafted laws can result in anomalies.

No one has said it isn't illegal but people are questioning how come these six have been dealt with so quickly when all we here on the news is the immigration authority has a backlog of cases to deal with or questioning the approach (the law no doubt requires) in dealing with the players who will be paying tax and so on, i.e not behaving as you might expect illegal immigrants to do, going underground into the black economy.

It is virtually guaranteed that there will be other illegal immigrants in this country who have been here longer than them and who won't be going home by 7th Sept. The players were IMO easy targets when the real problem lies elsewhere.

Dave

The RFL are presumably not going to comment because they don't want to be seen to be prejudicing any criminal prosecutions. They could however state that they are unable to comment whilst investigations by the police are continuing and that they will make a statement in due course.

Refusing point blank to make a statement of any kind makes it seem as if the RFL has something to hide or more charitably, is simply inept.

Yet another mishandling of PR by the RFL. You really couldn't make it up. Amateurs running a professional game.

What a right bodge job by all involved. It's an utter shambles the whole thing. If I was Leigh, Barrow, Widnes or Halifax to name a few I'd be absolutely furious about the Celtic situation.

I want Celtic to work out, but would it have been so bad for them to be in the Championship for a few more years to get their structure sorted out? Areas such as Cumbria are constantly neglected, but consistently produce so many players yet the RFL/Super League have always been obsessed with having a team in Wales. Hence you get screw-ups like this.

At the time of thr franchises I don't think any of those clubs were in a position to be be realistic SL teams. Widnes had gone bust the year before (or into administration) so that would have been a real risk. Leigh kicked up a fuss but have gone backwards since and Barrow and 'Fax were not as good then as they are now.



Cumbria is probably as hard a place to set up a team as is Wales. There just isn't a big enough town to provide a large enough fan base and the idea of a Cumbria'n side has never been popular as it would have to be based in one of the towns so would be associated with it.

Dave

A valid point. Their visa applications may have been filled out in blue not black but they are paying tax and working fulltime. Surely far more of a problem are the immigrants who are not working/claiming benefits etc.

This country really is beyond repair.

you are heinrich himmler and i claim my 1000 reichmarks

My point was more that Rugby League in general tend to rush into things which would have a greater chance of long-term success if they were built up gradually from a solid base or given a bit more thought. I admire the fact the game does try things, but maybe we could do it better sometimes.

Hence we get examples like Origin games, PSG, Gateshead and now Celtic that sound brilliant initially, but are then dumped at the first sign of failure or collapse due to financial/administration issues (Celtic are obviously still going).

We can all have our views on the UK immigration policy and how it is applied.

I do sometimes wonder what goes on at RFL HQ, they quite deliberately and controversially decided on Celtic to be in Super League, I think it is quite difficult to understand why they have not ensured that everything was above board. Last season Hull played an ineligible player in the cup for 2 rounds, now it seems these guys are here on student or visitor visas. Does anybody check these things?

Celtic also must or at least should have known what their player status was/is as all employers MUST check this before employing them. if as somebody on here has stated they were employed by somebody else, is this a way to get around salary cap matters.

I have just in the middle of this listened to Boots and all and the guy from the RFL sums up the above "nothing to do with us" I thought they were supposed to run the game.

Our game is and has become a laughing stock because of the utter ineptness of our so called leaders

The RFL are going to have to think this one through. They haven't the best track record for punishments.
Hull FC playing an ineligible player in the Cup, no exclusion from the comp as there was no sanction in their rule book.
A club (forgotten which) went into administration and no sanction there too for points deduction.
After all it was the RFL who registered these players to play and we now find out they are not entitled to be here.
Then there's the UK Border agency, or whatever it was in 1996 when some played their first game. Why have they been allowed to remain here when they are not entitled to be here in the first place.
The "intelligence led" bit is stretching it!
The UK border people were tipped off, they'd no intelligence of their own at all.
In fact it's only UK Border's lack of intelligence that has led to this mess up.

It'll be interesting. A points deduction would be pointless in this new age of no relegation so how else could they punish them? A fine would probably kill them off.

It's a massive break for Leeds though. Points difference is what will could seperate them and Saints for 1st (although they meet in a fortnight to be fair) but Leeds have the chance to boost theirs massively now when playing Celtic on Sunday. Castleford will also possibly get a top 8 break in the last round of the season by having Celtic at home - an opportunity for them to rack up the points difference they badly damaged last week. Not a level playing ground as they say.

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5766088746 looks like celtic aren't the only ones in strife. Reading it looks like it affects those signed between 2006 and 2007 seasons

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5766088746 looks like celtic aren't the only ones in strife. Reading it looks like it affects those signed between 2006 and 2007 seasons

Father Ted am I right in thinking that a few weeks ago the RFL sent " a team of officials " to help the Celtic admistration, when challenged by the local media the RFL spokesman was very evasive in his answers, could these have been the start of the " intelligence led " findinds?