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) 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

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.

You are so obnoxious it's unreal.

This debate is not about Mason, who cares really?

It's about the RFL putting rules in place and then completely backtracking and allowing clubs to do as they please. It makes our sport a joke the way it's run.

I aren't obnoxious, I just find this whole debate/argument a bit of a non starter.



I do agree with you, 100%, but people seem to have a gripe with Rovers for taking advantage of it and with Mason for been classed as Fed now.

People have a gripe with what's happened - i.e. yet another loophole opening up in the overseas player rules. It so happens that Rovers and Mason are involved. People would still have a gripe if it had happened with a different club and player.

I think its certainly amplified though that Rovers are involved and it involves a high profile player. As I said before Wigan have 8 overseas players, but I've never once seen any of your fans on here post that they are a disgrace to the game as posts have been made about Rovers.

Exactly. Ultimately the fact that this ruling seems to have set the RFL back 4 years to 2007 is the main issue. The fact Hull KR have again been the pioneers of the loophole (as with the Stanley Gene loophole a few years a go) is a side issue. If, as this looks from the outside, this allows any South Sea Islander to be exempt from the quota, then it blows the "It'll sort itself out in a few years when the exempt players (e.g. Manu, Vella etc..) retire" argument out of the water.