Most clubs don't want their players to be cup tied or play against them in a league game when on loan. One exception that I can think of was Gareth Hock last season. When he was on loan from Salford to Widnes he was still eligible to play for Widnes against Salford.

I can understand why the team lending the player would prefer they didn't play against them. They may be concerned that their own players could be injuring their own players - which they certainly would want to avoid. Say a Dons player went on loan to Hunslet and we were due to play them next week. We wouldn't want our players knocking seven bells out of one of our own, would we? I think this provision needs to stay.

I like the idea of season long loans. Four Leeds players have gone on season long loans to Featherstone: Jordon Baldwinson, Thomas Mimms, Mason Tonks, and Alex Foster.

I presume the usual rules will apply and they can be recalled at any time if they're needed for duty at Leeds.

I would prefer a limit of two loan signings at any one time per club as this would encourage sides to invest in their own development, rather than rely too heavily on other clubs.

Season long loans might not be the right arrangement if a player is on the verge of first team rugby at his home club which is why I think the provision to loan for a month at a time needs to stay, but safeguards should be put in place to make sure they don't return early unless there are exceptional circumstances verified by the RFL.

Getting these balances right is important. I hope the RFL get their act together on this rather than let things drift along as they seem to be doing at the moment. I can imagine two DR clubs coming together in the middle eight at the end of the season and the RFL will then think, "Errmmm, what do we do now?"

Saying that, I seem to recall at the Dons fans forum something was said to the effect that once a player has played for one side in the middle eight, they are no longer eligible to play for the other team from then onwards. although on checking the RFL rules I can't actually find anything to confirm this.

The 2015 rules at the RFL rules state that a player must have played in at least six league games whilst on DR to qualify to play in the end of season leagues of eight. although DR players with a salary cap of £20k or more only have to have played three times. Rule B3.17 then goes on to say that any player swapping from DR to a loan deal after the end of the registration deadline must have played in at least three league games to be eligible. Is there any wonder that things go wrong with overly complicated rules like this?!

Let's make things simple: Do away with DR and bring in better rules for the loan system.

Check some hidden section of the RFL rules.. Thats where the most important bits and pieces normally hide

Your Featherstone assumption is wrong. They have deals with Leeds for 2016, but for 2015 they have 1 yr contracts with Fev, they are not on loan (do me a favour

) Off course this still allows Fev to have another 5 Loan/DR players a game if they so wish. So in theory up to 9 players that are not really Fev players.

Also I could only find the 2014 rules on the RFL website. Please provide a link to the 2015 rules for me seeing as the RFL are not replying either via Email or Twitter

Try this link to the Featherstone website:

[urlhttp://www.featherstonerovers.net/article.php?id=31410[/url

The headline is, "Rhinos send quartet on loan".

Try this link to the RFL website. You can tell the rules have been updated for the 2015 season as B3.6 states there are 2 points for a win and one point for a draw in the Championship games.

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/rules/interactive_operational_rules?section=B3[/url

I hope you get a reply from the RFL soon!

Fair enough. I remember reading something different, however I cannot find it now. As for the DR rules, I maintain it is no longer fit for purpose when clubs can be in the same comp. A comp that has such an important and financially rewarding outcome

Actually like DemonUK I'm certain someone on here posted a link to an article saying they had signed for a year though can no longer find it. Also all the other articles I have found read as though they have signed full time with Featherstone for one year but already have deals in place at Leeds for next year. Even the article on Featherstones sight suggests this if you read past the title as the word loan does not come up anywhere else. Besides if it was a loan or dual reg surely the players would still have Leeds squad numbers? Which the articles all make a point of saying they don't.

I presume the question being posed is whether Featherstone are trying to take advantage of the situation by signing them on full-time when they're really on loan?

Here is a quote from the RFL confirming the loan/DR limitations:

LOANS AND DUAL REGISTRATION

C1:2:10
LIMIT ON NUMBERS

A Club shall not include in any 19 man Match Squad nor play in any Match:

more than five Players who are on loan to it and/or dual registered to it (irrespective of which Club they are registered with); and
More than 4 Players who are dual registered to it

Another point of clarification is then added by the RFL:

C1:2:13
RULES RELATING TO LOANS

A Club shall not be entitled to either loan a Player or receive a Player on loan unless:

A. it ensures that the relevant loan form (correctly completed as prescribed by the Board from time to time) is completed and immediately sent to the Board;
B. it receives an acknowledgement of loan registration from the Board;
C. the loan is for a minimum period of 28 days save where the loan agreement states that the Player may only play for the Reserve or Academy team in which case the minimum period shall be 48 hours;
D. the loan is not (in the opinion of the Board) an attempt to circumvent the negotiated transfer rules set out in Section C1:2:8;

Item D being the interesting one.

I would hope the RFL have got this situation covered. I would also hope Featherstone are not trying to circumvent any rules. The RFL don't seem eager to clarify such matters. I feel the press ought to be asking these types of questions ... but they don't!

PS. It has been announced today that Halifax and Hull KR have signed a DR agreement for 2015 which could bring two more DR teams together in the middle eight.

I can see TROUBLE ahead!!

Mmmmmmhh?

In the dug out with Carl on 24th December states that two more of last season's squad have resigned. Names have not been released yet ... and there is one more NEW signing to be announced.

[urlhttp://www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article/41477/in-the-dugout-with-carl[/url

Double Movement, sorry to disappoint, but DemoUK and AdamH are quite right the four lads (Jordon Baldwinson, Thomas Mimms, Mason Tonks, and Alex Foster) have 1 year contracts with Fev and have provisional contracts with Leeds for 2016, but I suspect it depends how well they go this year as to whether Leeds follow through with these contracts. Confirmation can be see here: [urlhttp://www.featherstonerovers.net/article.php?id=13355[/url

PS if you think this is something new you'd be wrong both Mason Tonks, and Alex Foster had 1 year contracts at London Broncos last year with provisional contracts with Leeds for 2015.

I'm not disappointed FevGrinder. It's not really any of my business. I was quoting an article from the Fev website initially. It wasn't my opinion.

I suppose the key is how the RFL view it and whether Featherstone intend to sign additional loan/DR players.

Only the RFL can give us the definitive answer as to how they, as the powers that be, view it!

Given London did the same and still loaned players probably tells you what the RFL think.

I wonder when we are going to officially announce Nicklas and Wilson and this other new signing we mentioned on Christmas Eve

More interested in the new signing !

Me too can't understand why we don't just announce it already.

You would think he would be sorted to play in the pre season games.
Only 1 wk to go.

My guess is that the new signing has been signed up for a while. The club are probably going to use the announcement to help boost interest in the first friendly.

that was one of my thoughts but as i said only 1 wk to go
unless we hear something on Monday

The Free Press and Star will probably have articles this week. It'll probably be announced in time for them to give it coverage ... hopefully!

He's just got to have his knee reconstruction operation first ...lol

Thought we would have heard of the NEW signing by now.

Agreed, in the mean time I stumbled upon these which I'm not sure if they were shown when we first signed Sam Doherty and Josh Kittrick or not and unfortunately the search function on here is useless. Either way I'm fairly certain I've only seen one until recently.

[urlhttp://vimeo.com/90701919[/url

[urlhttp://vimeo.com/90701546[/url

The links tell you which one Sam is and I'm fairly certain the blonde hooker is Josh

The club are delighted to announce Jack Walton is Doncaster's eleventh new arrival of the close season! www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a ... th-signing

The club are delighted to announce Jack Walton is Doncaster's eleventh new arrival of the close season! www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a ... th-signing

I found this

[urlhttp://www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/team-listings/jack-walton[/url