FFS......
Why don't the RFL just dock them all the points they gained whilst these players were "illegal".........it won't change the fact they got a licence, but it might just shut the moaning flat earth anti-expansionist t055ers up
Challenge Cup Final Weekend and all we get is 6,000,000 assumtive posts about who's to blame...I dispair at the attitude of some so called Rugby League Fans.

I think you're assuming the government is an efficient joined-up organisation, (like the RFL). I have employed several people on work permits. Getting them a visa (and the speed of getting it issued) seems to be highly variable in terms of how long it takes, down to the individual civil servant who deals with the case. And we had one guy who had been working for us for 5 or 6 years, flew to the US on business, then was not allowed back into the UK because they reckoned he wasn't allowed to work here - in spite of having been paying top rate income tax for years. He had to go home and re-apply. You can perfectly well get a NI number without any right to take a full-time job.

Working holiday visas were completely stopped last year (there is now the youth mobility visa which has replaced it) but there were restrictions on the type and length of any employment you took up - typically you were supposed to be taking temporary, unskilled jobs - bar work, office temping, factory work etc. People here on student visas also have fairly limited rights to supplement their income with paid work. It is entirely plausible that you would be allowed to work in Leighton Samuels DIY factory, but not be allowed to play full-time for his RL team, for example.

I personally know a SL player who was here on a working holiday visa in 2005. (And to be fair, he did seem to treat it more as a holiday than work). The home office changed the rules partly as a result of pressure from the professional players association - protecting British jobs and all that.

Except of course that they would not have got promotion to NL1 without those points, and would therefore have been ineligible to apply for a licence in the first place.........

is it?
really.......
then why are 99% of the posts from bitter fans of clubs who didn't get a licence?
as I said.....dock them every point.......it won't make any difference.....they are in sl and there they will stay until samuels gets bored.

Yes, see the RL media for details. It also has serious implications for the sport. That will be the sport we all follow and claim to love.


Not everything comes down to this. It may be difficult for you to comprehend this, but it just doesn't.



What happens, happens. Just because we are not in a position to do anything about it, doesn't mean we should ignore it.

Sorry Gutterfax, don't include me in the bitters but if they were to be docked each point, they'd be languishing of the foot of the Championship One in front of 200 speccies.

They aren't though.

For once you can't just brush this off as a flatcapper issue. Too many other people have spoken up about it, fans of many different clubs and from many different stances.

If this had been any other club they would have got slated and probably had a lot less people sticking up for them. Funnily enough big issues are big issues, when clubs got docked points for salary cap breaches there was nobody saying lay off those clubs. When Thackery was proven to be an illegal player there was nobody saying lay off Hull.

The reason it is still being discussed is because it appears that it is just going to be brushed under the carpet again. The RFL are happy enough making out that loads of clubs have done it and that will be the last they have to say on the matter.

How can they brush it under the carpet when then UKBA haven't completed their investigation yet? Does the RFL supercede a government agency now?

As for it being flatcappers and flatearth theorists, can the expansionistas not see that the flatcappers (or perceived flatcappers) and suchlike are not the ones who are doing untold damage to RL. It is the hamfisted attempts of the RFL and the possible clandestine work of expansion clubs who aren't ready for the top level who inflict the untold damage on the image game we care so much about.

For someone who claims to be very much in favour of our club and the way it is now operated you seem to have a complete lack of understanding and empathy towards it's fans. Hypocritical don't you think?

Ah yes of course the 'investigation'. I'll give you a clue, you're going to be waiting a long time.

as long as whinging Widnes don't get a SL spot I will be happy.

Bank on certainties for a SL spot

Toulouse!!!