Salford have today announced another Aussie signing. Are they playing to the same rules as everyone else and should the other clubs (including ours) take action?

From next season clubs can have 7 non-fed players and/with/or 5 overseas.

So effectively two extra Kolpak players. It's probbly for a few reasons; Koukash and London, maybe Wakefield.

Isn't Kaufusi Tongan...?

... by the way I'm not entirely sure how Salford's signings fit into this revised quota ruling. I only assume it's 'accordingly'.

It's all done "live" via the RFL, so mistakes can't happen..............

It strikes me that people see the signings Salford make, jump to some vague and purely bull conclusion that "it must be in breach of quotas, well, stands to sense, innit" without knowing the numbers or checking the rules, and then post indignant bilge.

I'm sorry, but do you really think Salford would sign a player and commit to big money without first knowing for a fact that their quota rules were in order? And that the player and his agent would be so stupid too? Really?

Do you not know that in order to sign a player, you have to register him, lodge his contract etc and the RFL monitors eligibility etc "live"?

Or maybe all the above, but without even knowing the quota categories or what players fall into which, you'd rather accuse the RFL of a conspiracy to relax the rules in Salford's case - a conspiracy which of course ALL the other competing SL clubs are happy to overlook.

FFS, get a grip, people. To me, it's great that another club - in this case, Salford, but it could be anybody, I don't care - is maing a big noise, a big splash, and a big effort. All concerned should be applauded, and I look forward to watching Nobby's New Salford over the next few years to see how he puts it all together.

It would've helped if the RFL had announced the quota changes to the fans though, that way people would've understood better. I - you're average joe fan - read it this last Monday in a small article in [iLeague Express[/i and came to the conclusion this may explain Salford signings.

There was a theory Smith was off-quota to allow Wakefield to use the money, that would stack up. Also similar happened with Crusaders and their exemptions.

Also, an immediate example of registering players, London signed Jarrad Hickey in 2012 and couldn't play him due to their being no room under the quota at that time. So it can happen.

Some fans shout off and look like a fool, some ask the question of how and others say nothing and then finger wag later.

Other example that springs to mind is sammut for us this year. His exemption that he got for playing at crusaders should have run out at end of his first contract after crusaders, yet it was mysteriously extended when he re-signed for us last year. AFAIK it was never explained anywhere why it was extended. So maybe we shouldnt be so quick to throw stones. people in glasshouses and all that.

We successfully argued that had we known about the up coming exemptions for the Crusaders players we would have waited and then signed him on a longer contract as two other clubs had done.

So he'll lose his exemption at end of his current deal?

Yes from what I'm led to believe.

Good job non fed quotas increasing to seven then. Assume sammut doesn't count overseas quota due to malteses heritage.

I was just about to ask if his Maltese passport mattered. Is it EU related?

Oh I dunno. If he scores loads then someone else will have to go...

Two different quotas that run in parallel. Overseas quota is one which players can get round with EU passports. Non fed trained quota was brought in to stop this and is one sammut currently has a exemption for. It's the non fed trained quota which is increasing, I think to 7.

Ta.

I knew the changes, but not where Sammut sat on it.

Without wanting to be y to silsdenbull, but if correct that could be worth adding to the squad list thread!

So can we sign another kolpak (forward) and overseas player (gob smacking kiwi centre from the Warriors) and still have enough quota for Sammut next year?