Does anybody know exactly how many overseas players Salford can have next year. It would appear Nero, Mauro and Foran won't be around next year and perhaps McGoldrick. It gets a little confusing with players being exempt after x number of years and the rules always changing.

For instance I was having a look at the Wakefield squad and they appear to have about seven overseas players.

Were lucky in that McPherson doesn't count as he was lined up to go to the Crusaders but didn't make a move when they went bump.

Would imagine that Nero, one or maybe both of this years new imports will get an early release and hopefully McGoldrick who is by all accounts Salfords highest paid player!!!

I would imagine the Crusaders situation helped Wakefield with Mellers but it still leaves them with another six players in Collis, Smith, Poore, Aiton, Lauitiiti and Tautai. Excluding McPherson i make it that we have four, how come Wakey can have 6? Do they have two players exempt for another reason or are Salford not taking up the maximum quota option this year? Would it not be easier for the everyone to understand if the RFL stopped all these silly exemptions and just said you can have 4 or 5 max with no special allowances?

Pacific Island states such as Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga don't count on the quota as they are free to work in the EU due to the Cotonou trade agreement. I'd hazard a guess that Tautai and Lauitiiti fall under this. At a guess.

I think they both hold Samoan passports.

Thanks for the info. It does seem crazy that Superleague has an overseas quota yet a club could fill an entire squad if they wanted to with players from Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.

It's not entirely the RFL, for once. It's to do with EU and British law.

Salford would be well advised to setup a scouting system in these countries looking for outstanding young talent and investing in a special new Pacific Isles rugby academy based in Salford offering living accomadation. Bring 24 over every two years and if you got 3-4 future stars out of it, it would be worth the investment.

They could start by signing one or two rlfrom this lotrl

Resident scout in the South Pacific you say? I'll do it; pick me, pick me!

Wasn't the loophole with Kolpak countries closed with the introduction of the Federation Trained rules. Athough a Kolpak passport gets you off the overseas quota, they do count as non federation trained, of which you can only have 5.
Some players, who have been in Superleague a while (before 2008, I think) also have been granted federation trained status, so for us I think Nero, and possibly McGoldrick may have exemptions as they have been around long enough.
I'd Imagine for Wakefield, Lauititi has an exemption.

The Koplak loophole was closed by the RFL now saying a club can have only 5 Non Federation (that's players not trained in the UK) players on it's books and that includes those "on quota". So unless you have a Crusaders style dispensation like the Bulls have with Sammut and Wakefield have with Mellars you should be limted to 5.

I can't explain how Wakey have all they have but they must have a two on dispensation.

Ali was signed pre 2008 so he will be exempt from the quota along with Mellars I imagine. Over the next year or two these 'pre 2008' players will start to retire so we should see each clyub running at a maximum of 5.

Cheers. I'd forgotton about that pre 2008 rule.

In summary then:-


5 places of which McGoldrick and Nero (Although Nero's going anyway) don't count on the quota due to the 2008 rule, McPherson is also exempt due to signing initially for Crusaders. That leaves Mauro and Foran which means we currently have 2 available places and potentially 4 for next year if Mauro and Foran leave. Meli won't count due to the 2008 rule and we already have Sa'u signed who will count. So basically we could be seeing a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 more overseas players being signed for 2014. Unless Theo counts as one but I doubt it because he came through our academy? So If Tony Palutua also signs as rumoured that would leave 1 or 3 more places wouldn't it?

Theo will be Fed trained, and Club trained so wont count on any quota. Not sure about McGoldrick, he might still be overseas due to being aussie, rather than coming from a Kolpak country.