hello wasn't this all done a few years ago with Johns at warrington and a few others teams aswell !!!!!!

IIRC we de-registered an injured Graeme Appo to make space for Johns, but I don't think that Appo was likely to return at any stage of the play-offs.

Subsequently the salary cap rules were changed to prevent teams from capaitalising on short term deals, but in the case of Mason & Dobson the overseas quota rather than salary cap was the determining factor.

I suspect they'll look to change certain rules in the off season to prevent another fiasco.

I don't think its the originally de-registering that is the problem. The rules state that once a quota player has been deregistered, then he cannot be registered again that season.

That's why it's a joke, Hull KR always had the intention of registering him again at some point during this season. Is this not now an invitation for a club to have 6 proper quota players, and just rotate 5 out of those throughout the season!

Agreed. Normally I'm not one of these to stress about having lots of rules but the thing about de-registering and registering overseas players is a slippery slope. It has spoiled county cricket IMO. In the old days you had one overseas player per season and so the fans got to identity a player with their team, eg Lancashire had Wasim Akram for about ten years then it was Muralitharan. But in recent years I have lost track you have Chanderpaul, Sangakarra, Andrew Symonds, Ashwell Prince, they come over play a few games then go off to play internationals and the club brings in a new overseas player for a few weeks. It just feels like a rotating door of mercenaries.

But that's the thing, the rules didn't need changing. The rule is there that once a quota player has been deregistered, they can't be registered again that season. There's just a little loop hole that says unless they have RFL permission. Why the RFL gave permission is beyond me.

I can only think that the RFL was interested in the publicity gained from having him come to Super League. The way it's turned out makes them look incompetent though.

I'm pretty sure thats the dictionary definition of the RFL.