An amusing article on the Aussie players facing visa problems at the moment:

[urlhttp://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rugby-league/Losing-on-points-in-attempt.4986220.jp[/url

That article still doesn't explain why Crocker et al, who have allegedly minor conviction such as driving offences etc,m are being denied visas.

As for Bird, well we all know what his problem is.

Indeed. I was struck by this comment:



Didn't they commit them in Australia?

Its funny how a lot of people have got upset at these guys not being allowed visas like its an infringement of their human rights.

Who cares?

Did anybody see the World Cup. What we need to be doing is spending money on our Academy players not small time criminals from down under who are coming over here to top up their pension funds.

We all know that. It doesn't mean we can't discuss the situation seeing as the clubs have already signed the players

I'm enjoying it at the moment to be honest. not sure I would be if any of our players were being denied visa's mind.

Still, it should force clubs to look closer to home for talent.

With all of the recent news stories about other NRL players getting into trouble with the law over there, I'm not sure this is going to end soon.

What happens to the contracts of such players?

Well I think its a good move, because there's already enough foreigners in the UK and making it a no go for anybody with even the slightest offence to their name, will help screen out a lot of people who we don't want.

It will also be interesting to see how this affects player behaviour in the NRL, some of those who carry on like idiots, getting drunk, fighting, breaking traffic laws, forcing themselves onto women etc, safe in the knowledge that their 'bad boy' reputation will enhance their popularity in Aus, will now know that they are effectively giving up their chance of having their final pay day in England.

Same as in normal employment I guess. Normal contracts will be subject to a visa applications for applicants such as these, meaning no visa, no valid contract.

But here's the problem. Our "talent" isn't good enough on a wider scale. You get the odd player coming through but that's it. Were not developing masses of youngsters. Throw Brian Noble's latest verbal diarrhoea into the mix, and it seems clubs have given up on producing their own talent.

If the trend continues, standards in SL will drop further behind the NRL and then what?

I can half see where Noble is coming from, but I don't get the numbers. Rugby Union have lost three players today to French RU, players allegedly trebling their contracts. RU operate on a salary cap of circa £4m. So what would you get for your £50k ? Not alot I'd guess. You'd be taking an unproven player for that money, you could do that with an unproven RL player and know they'd have the core skills. He quoted names like Wilkinson & O'Driscoll, they don't come for £50k.

At Wigan, he's lamenting the lack of kids, yet he's somewhat blocking the way of the likes of McIllourm, Tomkins, Ainscough etc.

Absolutely. Although to be fair, and this really is the dirty, dirty little secret, is that Wigan's much praised youth system generally produces average/better than average players. They haven't got anywhere near producing a Cunningham, Roby or Graham. If they did, they'd be in the team.

Sean Long was probably the last really good one. Wonder what happened to him.

Maybe you should email your club with this request

We don't have many overseas players - Hicks, King, Rau, Monaghan, the Andersons. That's it.

We lose the WCC a few times and don't play well in the world cup.

Not sure it bothers me in the slightest really

Aussies are now moaning about the visa problems:

[urlhttp://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25080584-23214,00.html?from=public_rss[/url

Which I find ironic(?) as I watch a programme called 'Nothing to Declare' on Living TV ina morning and Aussie customs don't let anyone in with a criminal record...

And now Greg Bird has gone to Yawnion:

[urlhttp://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25085459-23214,00.html?from=public_rss[/url