...just googled that...thought you were referring to "one year", but that is - un anne....calling him a donkey is a bit harsh IMO

They have already changed them, as of next season the difference between quota and non-federation trained no longer exists. The rule is now purely based on where a players junior rugby was played and a team can have a maximum of seven non federation trained players. So Mitch Clark would still be classed as overseas.

Ben Flower has gone to Leigh. I'd have happily taken him.

I don’t get how people don’t understand the overseas rule
It’s being the same for ten years now

It’s are you federation or non federation trained
Widdop is a good example

He’s British but trained in aus and came through the ranks there
He’s a non federation trained player even though he’s British /European

You can have 5 Overseas Players.
You can have a total seven Non-Federation trained players.

Overseas players are 95% of the time non federation trained

Unfortunately , Ben Flower blotted his copybook years ago for me. His act of thuggery in the GF was a shocker and IMO he's very lucky he played again. Absolute cowardly act and not forgotten by many
I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole..

I’m with PT on this. Big deal.

It makes me laugh, we venerate Rocky Turner at this club. Before my time but I’m told that he was a truly violent individual, skilled for certain but that’s hardly a free pass.

Flowers tackle was bad but he’s hardly a serial offender, it’s not like he did it every week. Rush of blood that he’s paid a heavy price for, I’ve seen James Graham and other to more calculated and worse. Solomona had a few bad tackles to his name, just wasn’t as public.

I’m not excusing him, don’t especially rate him but as far as I’m concerned that was a one off and doesn’t really influence me.

Haha must be the first time you and PT agreed!
Back to it... Rocky Turner was a hard man and by no means against having a cheap shot in a tackle or in the scrum.
Ben Flowers act was NOT in a tackle he knew exactly what he was doing. Ok the first shot could be put down to a rush of blood, but having knocked his victim out he very calculatedly knelt over him and gave him another belter. Coward.
I am saying I would't have him. My standards are obviously different to yours - everybody has different opinions.
I would also add about Rocky Turner more often than not it was players of larger stature than him that incurred his wrath -ask the Aussies!

There is a lot of over reaction to the Flower incident because it was caught on camera on a big stage and showed in slow motion.

For me, if it had just been the first shot no one would have even blinked. The guy obstructed him and then took a swing. If he's going to do that against a bigger guy he deserves what he got. To me Flower just thought there was another coming so continued. He jumped away when he realised he was out.
It's not like it hurt him. He was unconscious.
The stiff arms and elbows like Rangi Chase against Fev or Mick Cassidy against Morley are far worse but get forgotten because it was in the tackle. But the victim was just as defenseless and received far more damage.

What is junior then, Widdop played around Halifax till he was 16, does it mean from when you can get paid?
A lot of kids are formed and graded by 16

I'm surprised at your analysis of that incident PT.
How on earth you can construe that he thought another punch was coming when the bloke was laid unconscious is beyond me AND how the heck does the fact that the player was unconscious lessen what Flower did - it actually worsens it !
I respect the fact that it was long ago and as Vastman pointed out it doesn't make him a serial offender, but let's not water down what the bloke did - didn't he finish the victims career?
(By the way I do know who the 'victim' was - just forgotten how to spell his name!)

The 5 oversea players part has been removed from next season, its now just the 7 non-federation trained that count.

The fact that he was unconscious and laying prone on the ground makes his second attack all the worse. A real scumbag blow.

Flower is past his best and injury prone these days anyway, glad we didn’t go there.

Oh silly me.

There I am wondering out loud why Wigan have made such a fuss of his 'Britishness" on his profile and thinking perhaps Wigan have found a way around it. Again silly me, of all the teams in SL Wigan are without a doubt the one least likely to do such a thing

He's the expert, studied it for ten years apparantly.

SORRY VASTMAN but as pointed out by ex Trin half ISAAC JOHN - the average NRL player in the NRL makes around 40 appearances in first grade. I get what you are saying but 50+ games in 4 years aint bad going IMO.

It was Lance Hohaia - 1315 - and I'm with you all the way on this one....worst act of thuggery I have seen on a rugby pitch and if that had happened in Leeds city centre on a Saturday night and been captured on CCTV then he would have definitely been going to jail !!!
Surprised he didn't get banned for life.

If it were as simple as just the numbers I’d agree, but there are more factors in play here.

The lad clearly has the size but did not debut til 26. Then mostly for the Titans, a team not overflowing with riches. He clearly has limitations and I thought our policy was not to bring players over who were no better than what we have here, is he?

When we signed Pauli Pauli you could see the logic as he was young and big in a way you don’t get in the U.K. Still didn’t work, when players can’t get an NRL gig despite appearing to have the necessaries you have to wonder.

Tbh I don’t want to get fixated on a player I know little about, mine is a more general observation, mainly that the NRL player pool available to SL these days is not what it was.

This lad could as I say be a star but more likely not. He

I assume yes to 16

I guess it’s where you get your first junior contract

I’m not sure on that element though

But the same can be said of most incidents that result in a penalty.
It was a split second. It wasn't premeditated.
No different to Willie Mason hitting Fielden or Sculthorpe and Farrell going at it.
The only difference is Lance H couldn't continue the fight. It was a split second.

Love it when you act like a child vastman, shows you for the vile little man you are

Still makes me laugh at how you cried on the forum when a picture of you was put up on here

Britishness what ever that means has nothing to do with the rules for overseas players

They’ve being the same for ages

You pretend you know everything about everything RL, the true reality as proven by you not knowing the overseas and non fed rules just shows you know nothing vastcap

Sports need bogeymen, didn’t help him being a Wigan player.

It was bad really bad but not the worst and certainly not a ban for life for heavens sake.

Wahay, Musson not getting his way and it's tantrum time.

Yes, of course, I claim to know everything about RL, that's how I roll



''Britishness" in the context I used, what could that possibly mean I wonder? I'm sure everyone is baffled

To be fair you can't fault him for that.

Using another forum user's photo as your avatar is an instant lifetime ban.
Just making sure everyone is fully aware.

Wasn’t me who made the fuss, he can’t even get that right. It was my apparent alter ego. I’m past caring I’ve taken that much crap through the years