Carney was convicted had to do community service, dont need to go to jail to be a crimnal. Bird was found guilty when [played for the dragons but was acquited on appeal.

True - Bird was refused entry to the UK because his case was still pending, if you look at the home-office reasons for rejecting a work visa, I can't see why Carney would be turned back. I don't think either would be refused permission to play if they applied today, regardless of the moral questions & whether you think there's too much smoke for there to be no fire.

Although it's all very subjective:

thats only a starting point, people can and have been refused entry before on drink driving charges. Non custodial but convicted.

When someone is convicted of a crime. He is punished. He is also hopefully rehabilitated. If you deny someone the chance to make a living, does that mean that you think the state should support them forever more?

I don't recall Greg Bird damaging the 'integrity' of Super League too much. He was brilliant in a poor team that season. I for one am looking forward to seeing Todd Carney play. He is quite brilliant.

Hetherington is in such a large glass house on this one. For all Baileys misdemeanours he is still at Leeds. And quite right too. I don't like him much but I wouldn't want to deny him the chance of earning a living. Let Todd Carney do the same. His profile will actually benefit Super League. He will be the best import since Trent Barrett.

The RL have to decide if they want Cats to be anything more than a nice weekend away for away fans, they are running scared of them really mixing it with the top teams and the problems that will arise for their fans if they reach (another) final at short notice. There have been signs this season that the juggernaut is starting to move in an increasingly positive direction, and Carney would be a massive boost.

Should they win this weekend their semi at Saints would be interesting! I could see some 'favourable' home decisions!

A crowd 15,000 down on the usual numbers at Old Trafford won't appeal to the RFL!

if a UK team cant sign him then Cats shouldnt be allowed to.

Why?

Wow i agree with you on this, Just because the UK boarder and immigration agency is retarded doesn't mean a FRENCH team should be punished.

100% if Leeds had a cat in hells chance of signing Carney without visa issues they would have signed him.

Ooo you cynic, you

Spot on

By the way I didn't notice the rugby league world collapse when Wire signed Joel Monaghan.

Sounds like the defeat on Saturday hit him hard.

I believe the same article mentions he's written to every other SL clubs about this? If true (and my natural inclination is NOT to believe anything written in that rag), was it an email about 7pm on Saturday?

I believe he wants the World club series expanding to four teams as he believes teams finishing 7th (after the play offs) deserve a spot!!

as it gives them an unfair advantage due to their lax imigration policies.

did he get charged with anything?Can add Gelling to that list

Didn't stop them making the Challenge Cup Final....

I know. Apparently you can't move over there for Australian rugby players. Ever seen the Monty Python sketch Wickers Island?

Mind you on the plus side, sales of Pelforth Blonde have gone through the roof, doing no end of good for the French economy.

obviously Hetherinton has a short to mid term memory loss.....he has apparently forgot that 2 of his players were sentenced to 9 and 18 months in 2003.........and yet they were deemed okay to play for Leeds on their release..........

If he's arguing that having a teams in the same comp having different rules to abide by then he might have had a point. Not a point I agree with mind you.

If he's miffed because of Carney's past issues then as stated by others it's double standards because of the already mentioned Ryan Bailey and Chev Walker.

The only point of his that I would agree with (if this is what he's saying), is that if a player is refused a work-permit for the UK, then it should be made to stick.

Basically, any player who is ineligible to work in the UK, for whatever reason, should not be allowed to play here.

In this instance, that could/would mean that the player would be allowed to play for Catalans in home games but NOT in away fixtures.

I have never deemed it to be fair that due to lax immigration policies, players were able to circumvent the UK work-permit rules, by playing (aka 'working') in the UK every other week.

Other than that, as others have stated, he should look to his own house before casting aspersions.

How many wendyballers would get deported for driving fast/illegally each year? I can't think of a major sportsman/woman to be refused entry other than Tyson in recent times.
it's double (even triple) standards all round, but unless we put the BNP in charge of immigration policy, there's nowt gonna change.

Hetherington runs the RFL so looking at other peoples houses is his business.

I'd rather have a drunken fool playing for my team than a homophobe.

I wouldnt