l played professional rugby league, fought in WW2, was at Normandy D-Day and worked on the docks all my life. l used to go to rugy until ill health made it impossible for me to continue. l had the priviledge of watching such great players as Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and the like grace our rugby grounds. l am an advocate of home grown talent but believe 'star imports' are a benefit to our game although l also think the limit should be 3 per club.

l used to believe that l fought for freedom but day by day this belief has diminished. We are now branded criminals for such 'crimes' as overfilling the wheelie bin or dropping litter in the city centre or speeding and so on. Whilst one can understand being fined for such things (except wheely bin) one should not have to be branded a criminal.

Now l find that my sport is also being targeted. Aussie players are being refused work visas because of their 'criminal' record. At first l thought what have they done? ... armed robbery? fraud? murder? GBH? ABH? NO! none of these, what we have is speeding offences, charged with assault (not convicted, just charged) and affray. Affray? we see that virtually every rugby match. lt is just above breach of the peace and is in reality just 'handbags'. Any altrication on the streets, in pubs, at home, at work, at matches etc etc the police can charge you with affray.

Upon further investigation l could find no reference to any foreign rugby union players being refused work visas or, god forbid, a Pakistani, or the like, cricket player being refused. ls it because these sports have influence and power? ... or like the cricketers, would result in mass demonstrations by the Muslim community. l say this for the Muslim community, they stand up for themselves and make their voice heardand for that they have my respect ... whether l believe in their cause or not.

But what does the working class sport of Rugby League and their supporters do? ... sweet FA! Except ofcourse slag off and gloat the clubs who have lost the services of these players. How narrow-minded and petty can you get? The RLHQ do nothing, the club boards do nothing and the supporters do nothing. Yet you have all the supporters at what ground or another so how hard would it be for all supporters to band together? You are in touch with all the clubs here anyway! Petitions, demonstrations etc may shame the club boards into coming onboard and maybe just maybe the RLHQ. Flood the Canberra British Consulate with e-mails ... and your MP's ... and the papers. Get media coverage ... hell, SKY is owned by Rupert Murdoch alone.

lf it carries on, what will happen to our sport? the lnternationals? ... depleted teams? Rugby League won't become 3rd rate ... it'll be lower!

l've fought my battles ... on the battleground, work, bureaucracy ... anything that l deemed injust or wrong. Some l won and some l lost but atleast l tried. l didn't cry in my beer and do nothing. Apathy seems endemic throughout the majority of citizens hence the minority always have the say ... especially the mandarins in Government. The one club that would speak out, Won't ... because they are French and wouldn't stand for it. God, that grates saying that but it's true.

What is happening to Rugby League is injust and wrong but it won't change unless the clubs, RLHQ and supporters speak out against it ... but ... the silence is deafening!

"And with that its back to the studio" GOOD NIGHT!

So, which club that didn't do their homework on an Aussie are you a fan of then?

less aussies mean more reliance on bringing through young british talent. how can that not benefit our game more? he facts are that they were refused. End of story. Its not worth bleating on about to be honest.

It won't mean the end of our game. Far from it. This could be the best thing to ever happen to it IMO.

Would it not be in the best interests of SL clubs to carry out checks first with the players agent, and for a player to obtain a visa prior to any signing being publicly announced?

It makes you wonder how clubs stand legally having signed these players? Do they still have to pay the players contract or will there be a clause that states the contract is subject to the player obtaining a work permit?

Tell you what, lets open the doors to all and sundry. Oh sorry we already did that and look at the state the country's in now. I think 50 odd people dead in the London bombings says it all. On another note how many non criminals do Australia refuse per year, runs into thousands and thousands I'd say.

Its very commendable that you fought in WW2 and were at the D-Day landings, you have the utmost respect from me, you did fantastic in stopping a Nazi invasion of the country so why would you want the country invaded by anyone who doesn't toe the line now?

British RL for British players is the way forward, aussie players have been taking their retirement money from here for years and looking at the last world cup they haven't taught us a single thing.

I see you posted your topic on every forum and I wouldn't be surprised if you get the same response from most and I'll tell you what - THE SILENCE IS CERTAINLY NOT DEAFENNING!

I have a plan for increasing Salford's season tickets sales next year. The club announce in November the signings of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Darren Lockyer for 2010. Then just before the new season starts the club announce to the media that we they can't obtain work permits for them!

Immigration criteria is obviously more thorough of late. The amount of overseas players struggling to obtain visas due to their felonious past is testament to that.

How many RU players from Oz are plying their trade in GB?

How many of those who applied have convictions?

We managed to get visas for all our overseas players, maybe we are more concerned about the type of player?

It's just a hunch, but I'm guessing that not a huge number of Pakistani Muslim cricket players go out on the lash and end up damaging things and beating people up, what with alcohol forbidden in the Qur'an.

"not a huge number of Pakistani Muslim cricket players go out on the lash"

Leave Sharia law out of this!

Actually I feel we are being unfair to the Aussies - a cultural bias - denying the spiritual lift of exchanging Sydney Opera House for karaoke in Batley or barbeques on Bondi Beach for kebabs in Castleford.
No comparison. Why deny them?

I don't go there for a curry any more.

Good post, good points.

There may be trouble ahead, but now is the time to Unite and make a stance against Visa / Passport control - I have a plan, I need you help, which I hope will get some reaction.

Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. We now have a problem, if no one else can help, and if we can find them, maybe we can hire... The Homer-Team.

'"