Just spoke to someone who was speaking to Moa today. He is loving his time at the club and wants to stay, but he said it is dependant on whether the club can get Manu of the quota.

So looks like the club are already making the right moves to get him a spot.

cusack played for us in 2008 so his contract must have come into force in Nov 2007. Irrelevant anyway as he' quota. With regard to manu, the only option I can see is if we extend his contract then maybe he can claim the exemption from next year. I wouldn't be too confident it would be agreed though

From what I read into it, any player who wasnt playing here between the ages of 18 and 21 is classed as a quota player, this is regardless of how long they have been here, what passports they hold and any EU rulings or the kolpack rule. These players are then split into non fed players and overseas, players can have non fed status due to some of the circumstances mentioned above, although any player who would have counted as a quota player on the old system is classed as an overseas player, which Cusack falls under so no way could he get any type of dispensation. The complications come in with the likes of Gene who have been given dispensation, I cant even be bothered to start to try understand this though.

The way I understand it though we still have our quota full, so unless we can get dispensaion for a player who hasnt yet, either I have completely misunderstood the rules, Rule has misunderstood or the RFL are making it up as they go along, none of which I would rule out.

it's quite simple really, any player who was under contract at a club before the quota rules changed can apply to come off the quota for as long as they stay at that club ( due to not being able to impose the new rules retrospectively), if they sign a new contract at the same club.
It is deemed that they are continuing their employment with that club so under these terms manu should be ok for an exemption as long as he doesn't move clubs. its to do with employment law rather than the rugby league making things up, something they never fully took into account when they imposed the quota system

Wrong.

Well - that's cleared all that up then. What can we ask Mr Rule next?

I wouldn't go that far. He is good, just not good enough to justify a quota spot IMO. If he was British there'd be no issue with him.

He is quite good and has the potential to get better. The thing is he is the type of player that we in Britain don't produce, when was the last time we had that type of impact player? We just don't produce them and they do help the balance of a squad.

Agree with all of that

The month in which he signed?



I know you say it doesn't matter when he signed, but if he signed in November 2007, surely he doesn't need to wait until November 2008 for that contract to come into force?

Personally my biggest doubt about it is that he hadn't played a competitive game prior to February 2008.

Think you might be on about different players there, Paul.



I think Standee was talking about Cusack.

I'd say its more likely to be the point at which the player was registered with the RFL. My biggest problem with it is that he is Australian so cant be classed as Fed trained anyway

Not read the rules on this bit personally, only seen the verdicts on here, so don't know how that goes TBH.

The fed trained part only applies to Kolpak players. No matter how many Kolpaks we get as Fed trained we can still only have a maximum of 5 Quota players.

Yeah, I've seen that interpretation on here, just not read the rules to see how that conclusion's been reached. No disrespect to anyone on here, I'm just not necessarily going to take it as fact on someone's say so.

From the RFL operational rules.....

[iEach Club shall be entitled to register only the Quota of "overseas Players" in all squads set out below in each season save for those Clubs which are granted an exemption in such form as the Board shall decide:
Maximum Number of Overseas Players - 2008 onwards Super League = 5[/i

I've emailed the RFL for clarification on this point. I'm pretty sure the dispensation doesn't apply to Overseas Players (e.g. Aussies and Kiwis) but let's see what they have to say.

I saw that quoted, and then I think I also saw somebody say about the non-federation rules being an amendment to the operational rules (part 2 or something). Is that about right?

If so, that's where my doubt kicks in. If the non-fed stuff is indeed an amendment to those rules outlining overseas players, the exemption only seems to mention non-federation trained players as a whole, it doesn't distinguish. I'm therefore wondering if the RFL have indeed extended it to all overseas players in the interests of fairness to the clubs.

That's probably the best way, hear it from the horse's mouth.

Its not. Kolpak players are now whats classed as the non fed/club trained players and the exemptions apply to them. Overseas players has been a maximum of 5 since the new changes were brought in.

Having said that......the following is the exact wording taken from the new rules

[iCLUB TRAINED

B1:11A This Clause is subject to Clause B1:11C in Seasons 2008-10. At the time of notification of the Provisional First Team Squad and First Team Squad and at all times, a Club’s First Team Squad, where that Club is in Super League, must consist of:

(a) a maximum of 5 players who satisfy none of the definitions of Club TrainedPlayers, Federation Trained Player from the Club’s own federation or Academy Junior.
(b) a minimum of 8 Club Trained Players or Academy Juniors
(c) the remainder being made up of Federation Trained Players from the Club’s ownfederation or Academy Juniors.[/i

With the following clause for 2010....

[iB1:11C In the following seasons the numbers in B1:11A above shall be amended to:

Season 2010: a maximum of 6 players who satisfy none of the definitions of Club Trained Players, Federation Trained Players from the Club’s own federation or Academy Junior and a minimum of 7 Club Trained Players or Academy Juniors.[/i

No mention of an "overseas" limit in those rules

All very confusing.

So even you are starting to doubt it

I think all players get dispensation, the only thing that is confusing to me is what the RFL mean by been in the game before Feb 08, does it mean contracted before that time or does it mean to have played before that time.

Indeed I was.

The Overseas Player definition and limit is in Part 3 of the rules for some reason.

I'm happy I've interpreted the published information correctly.

This being the RFL, I'm not 100% happy that the published information is correct.



And why are you doing an Enlightened?