Clubs like Hull FC & Bradford after over a decade of SL will mire than likely go into their 4th 'franchised' season in 2012 utilising a full imports quota?

All the talk fron Widnes club & fans is that we won't use full quota ideally and look at giving British players their chances etc and only look for a handful of 'top quality' imports. Yet you look at the likes of Bradford & Hull and they are all just trying to see where they can fit more in and pick up people no-one has ever heard of!

Franchising works!!!

In all honesty I do think it is a joke but it is up to the RFL to put a stop to it. To put in place some actual levels and to reduce the numbers. I would't want to see a complete end to Oz imports because I really enjoyed my trip to the HJ to watch Joey play in the flesh and we have been blessed with some great players over here. Carter, and even David Peachy who just looked an absolute class above when he was here....(I haven't seen anyone pick up a rolling grubber kick with a grab before!?!?!)

I simply don't buy the argument that there is too much legislation to stop imposing stricter quotas... They have a quota of four so what's to stop them lowering that and as for the loopholes it's upto the RFL to ask clubs to act within the spirit of the competition. They somehow believe they can stop clubs challenging franchise decisions as it's their competition. Time to get strict.

By all means allow larger quotas for expansion clubs however.

... and what about Warrington and Wigan for 'outsiders?'

we at hull will have 6 or 7 overseas players next year hardly that bad id it?, its not always about how many overseas players you have sometimes its about how many and how good young players your bringing through your OWN youth setupn and just to note 16 of our squad have come through our system not bad

The problem is the number of overseas players who aren't on the qouta due to the residency rules.

What needs to be done is that if a player has been overhere for over 5 years and they want to come off the qouta they should take dual nationality.

Bradford will have on quota.

Ah Van (if we resign him)
Lulia
Kearney
L'Estrange

Non Fed

Elima (note its EUROPEAN Super League)
Jeffries (BRITISH passport/Citizen)
Royston (BRITISH passport/Citizen)

Players from Academy:

Halley (if re-signed)
Sykes
Whitehead
Langley
Kopczak
Donaldson
Addy
Crossley
Olbison
Crookes
Southernwood
O'Brien
Finigan
Burgess
McAvoy
Bateman

All better than your team so Im happy bringing all this youth in

only McAvoy not played SL

suddenly it's gone quiet........

Not as quiet as game at odsal yet though.

So how do you define a "top quality" import? Or is it just that if they play for Widnes they'll automatically be a "top quality import"

The fact is, if Widnes want to compete in SL then they'll use the same quota rules as everyone else including all the loop holes to allow them to put together a competitive squad. You may delude yourself into thinking you're not going to do that, but all that will mean is that you'll just be whipping boys.

Whipping boys like Huddersfield Saints and Wigan.

It's not all about filling your side with imports is it? It's about having a good balance of youth and experience. I've no doubt it will be tough but the point being made here is super league and licensing was set up to prevent teams from filling their sides with overrated antopideans and it hasn't yet worked.



Suddenly? you've not been coming on here long have you? Fact is, Bradford are not a team we will be emulating. You're on a downward spiral. You've got an offer on for dirt cheap season tickets and what are you giving all these fans? A boring, under achieving squad and one of the worst match day experiences in super league. Enjoy comrade. Enjoy!

Widnes will not be emulating all that?

Woah slow down there my little chemical friends. Yer can't be laying the boot into SL clubs before you even get there !

Well you have emulated this from your previous Super League venture. Bradford are one of the most succesful sides in Super League and i cannot undertsand how a widnes fan who is still watching his team play second degree rugby league has the nerve to trample on the reputation of Bradford Bulls. Yes we are not the force of 5 years ago but we are slowly rebuilding and do not use our full quota space as most super league sides do. No doubt your 2012 Super League WILL do this and i advise that you respect your Super League 'elders' who are more decorated and wiser than your club. Nothing against widnes or their fans but i don't appreciate slander from this poster

And you'll have that balance straight off upon entering SL? I think not. Bradford are not a team you'll be emulating? So being one of the most successful sides of the SL is not something to emulate? Well don't worry, I'm sure Widnes won't do that.

Funny how they think they'll be great as soon as they come up. Your only decent youngster is Jack Owens. Where is allhis other youth?? Every SL team has a few decent youngsters, some more than others, yet you try to be offhand with Bradford who bring in more youth than the majority of clubs? Mate if you (as Widnes) don't use your full quota, you WILL finish bottom, wel maybe above Crusaders and Quins. Maybe.

Jack Owens
Dave Houghton
Grant Gore
Chris Lunt

possibly more

Who have all featured at some point in our team this season. Thats 9 players who are all under the age of 22, in fact most are under the age of 20. I'd say they're pretty decent enough. You probably only know of Owens due to the Barrow game. So unless you've actually taken the time out to make the trip down to Widnes to watch our academy sides play, no he is not our "only decent youngster".

I'll also draw your attention to Saturday 2nd April 2011 when our "not so decent" youth beat yours 34-16. Not bad for a second tier youth set up with only one decent player?

Which is exactly what's wrong with our game right now, even just having that view point.

The point I was trying to get across is that yes you do bring a good amount of youngsters through BUT still feel the need to use up full quota's etc. That is a worry for the game as a whole.

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No of course not. We don't play in a slum for starters.

We will fill all 5 quota places and will have another 1 or 2 players who are here on residency rules. It's about establishing a foothold in SL and playing to the rules. Anything less puts you at a disadvantage.

The Vicar

Slander? Get a grip, this isn't Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney.

And I repeat. We will not be emulating you. I went to Bradford when we were in super league, a few times. You had everything on the pitch. Sure, it was highly reliant on imports, but what a team! Yet everything from the view to the crumbling terraces to the stands whereby your guest fans were open to the elements (and soaked) whilst only home fans seemed to be huddled under the covers made Bradford one of the most lamentable match day experiences in the whole league. Except when you were at Valley Parade, and I saw football stewards chucking fans down steps for daring to stand up at the seats.

Now, bring up the past all you want, but we're talking about the here and now. We're a team who is coming up, fresh, and we wont be emulating the dulls, because in the hear and now, you're rubbish in so many areas. You had it all and instead of investing in infrastructure and the future you didn't and so for years now you've been progressively getting worse. Worse on the pitch, lower attendences. You're so far out of the big four now it wont be long before you're thrown into the licensing demotion mire. You went all out this season by throwing season tickets at people, and what did you give them? Do you think they will be aching to buy them back at full price?

As for respecting "elders" get stuffed. You've had the fortune of being in the right place at the right time, you are no better (NO better) than us, Leigh, Fax, or that team you ripped off (Keighley). I hope widnes respect no one but the sport, same as every team out there. Any talk of "elders" is beyond ridiculous, this is a messageboard and you are a fan, not some cowl wearing crook carrying wise man. I'll respect you when you do something worthwhile, not before.

JBT1991 =


What are you JBT some snot nosed up your own teenager? What a fool.

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I don't think we should be getting too big for our boots before we even get there (although I'm 51 years old and I still don't trust anyone who tells me to respect my elders!!).

We have no side in SL terms at the moment, and I don't know that any team has been put into Super league who has come from being an underachieving second-flight outfit. All the others actually won a trophy to get there. So it's uncharted territory and is going to be a huge ask to go from almost a start-up situation to contenders, it'll take three seasons at least.

Respect our SL elders?No chance of that from this supporter.It's only a RL competiton at the end of the day,not some royal garden party.It's still the first division to me with whistles and bells added on.This snobbery never used to prevail amongst RL fans and is totally out of character.Snobbery just doesn't fit in our game but it was born the day the first SL line up was announced back in 1995 and the haves stuck their noses in the air and looked upon the have nots,us peasants in the second division,as something on the soles of their shoes.It's pathetic.