Correct. Hull FC now have only 2 quota players Fitzgibbon and O'Meley having foolishly adopted the spirit of the agreement in 2007 to close loopholes and counted Moa and Lauaki as quota players. Clubs that embraced the spirit of the agreement and who have taken the longer term view of academy development and increasing proportions of British players are being actively disadvantaged now. Let's hope the retention of Ben Galea on a one year extension is worth the further damage to the game's reputation and the undermining of good work by some clubs to actually try and achieve the stated quota ambitions all clubs agreed on (including Hull KR) nearly 4 years ago.

What a joke another victory for Hull KR against the qutoa system. Honestly, everyone knew their owner was slimey due to the business he is in but the fact is he doesn't give a stuff about the external Rugby League environment.

Question, now the non-fed, fed issue is blown out of the water how are we ever going to reduce the amount of overseas players in the game?

I think you'll find he actually gives more of a stuff about his club than he does the backwards setup that is the RFL. Who can blame him for exploiting any possible rules he can to bring the best players possible to his club? James Rule and Hetherington are only interested in ££$$££ and therefore wouldn't ever dream of having a) a full salary cap and b) more than 1 big money signing.

Are you for real?

Can you answer me a) What % of the cap Hull operate at each year?
b) Whether Long, Fitzgibbon and O'Meley are 'big money signings'?
c) Whether you think it's right that Hull KR could potentially field 11 non-english players next year?

The RFL's efforts to lower the numbers of overseas players have obviously failed in the face of so many loopholes in the law.

Clubs will continue to exploit those loopholes as bringing in a full developed player from overseas is cheaper in the long run than developing home grown players.

As a result the England side will continue to founder internationally and and the game as a whole struggle to attract attention outside its heartlands. That will lead to it attracting less money in sponsorship and so be able to invest less in development, leading the game to struggle in comparison with its competitors.

The issue of overseas players is only one of a number of things that holds RL back. In the end it all comes down to money and clubs not having enough of it.

The only way out of this downward spiral is to spread the game and get more people involved from non RL areas. Unfortunately not all clubs have the money or the inclination to do this.

a) i) Can you? and b) ii) Considering berrigan is now off the cap, and radford and dowes both took pay cuts I doubt that westerman and sharp (



) will take up all that space.

b) I would only shout about O'Meley been a big money signing if I was you, Long and Fitzgibbon (more so Long) have seen better days haven't they.

c) I think its wrong that the RFL want to in one breath push to build the English game, yet then allow tongan players to count as federation trained. Hull KR are doing what any club can do, if it was your club you wouldn't mind, Wigan have 8 players who aren't english too don't forget. And the day the RFL gave up caring about English rugby was the day they allowed Catalans into the comp who for the record have far more non english players than us

a) So you're basing the comment 'Rule would never dream of operating at full cap' on a season of recruitment that probably isn't finished yet?



b) And O'Meley hasn't? In fact Fitzgibbon played more minutes than O'Meley last year and was probably more effective. Are you suggesting only players who haven't seen better days are big money signings?

c)

. When the RFL brought in Catalans they showed they cared about expanded the game as a whole, it's not just about English Rugby League it's about trying to knock off the tag of an M62 corridor sport.

Who's the 8th? I only count 7 (and that includes Leuluai who is fed trained without any loopholes)

Lima
Hoffman
Carmont
Roberts
Richards
Finch

Not getting into a tit for tat argument with you.

But I feel you have shown you are clearly hypocrite when you on one hand say Rovers are not doing the English game any good by having 10 aussies, yet then you say regarding Catalans it is not just about Engllish Rugby?

End of the day, Mason is on his way, deal with it.

It's because you know you are wrong. Rugby League in France needs expanding, It does the Aussies no good for their has been (Vella, Fitzgibbon) or have never been (Fisher, Lovegrove) players to come ply their trade over here.

Nobody has a problem with Mason coming over. People are questioning the apparent new loophole that is being used to classify him as Federation Trained when he clearly isn't, and the wider implications for the sport.

Stop being so chippy FFS.

Now I have heard everything!

And Harrison Hansen is Samoan, but I think he counts as homegrown for Wigan (ala Lovegrove with us), so there's your 8th at Wigan.