UK Border Agency is a law unto itself. There will be nothing suspicious in this.. the RFL have no influence, they aren't the employer, that's not how it works.

A fundamental part of any non-EU immigration application is that it has to be shown that the incomer has a level of skill and talent at their profession which is superior to any EU citizen that would apply for the job on the same wage. Players going into SL have a far better case. It makes no odds to the UK Borders Agency whether his contract was being paid by a 3rd party... their argument demands that nobody within the EU of similar ability is available to take the position. Maybe that's just not the case here.

Please bear in mind how goddam difficult it is to get into this country next time the stupid papers start banging on about immigration. Our borders are very tightly controlled... far too tightly. As has been written, don't be surprised to see Williams playing for Tolouse or Les Cats. It's much easier to get into France. And, if he does, THEN it's perfectly possible that he will prove himself sufficiently better able to fill a position at an English club.

Whilst the RFL has been undoubtably biased to "pin in the map" / Fantasist expansion clubs I feel Leigh seem to have come out of this looking unprofessional.
The whole saga is one that should have never happened with the on / off state of it and surely everyone in RL saw how the Crusaders struggled to get players in for the SL comp so perhaps a bit of over enthusiasm on Leighs part.

I presumbe the club has a plan B

Please ,please, please will someone tell me who told Paul Rowley that he had a visa to come and play for us and gave Paul the clearence to talk to the Reporter?

footballers have no problem do they, there's hundreds of them, probably nearer to a 1000.

As previously stated just loan him out to Gateshead Moneyspenders or some other off shore slush fund which the omeobas at Red Hall want to [sizebutt plug [/size into SL...

So whats to say that he won't eventually end up playing for Leigh? Put yourself in the position of the imigration officer for one minute, "Leigh want to sign a FORMER NRL player who's been playing amature bush rugby for the last x years, are they sure they can't find anyone better on these shores?"

I'd put money on there being a list as long as my arm of players who had been refused visas but most of them wouldn't have already been anounced by the club as done and dusted.

That's a very good point you make. Surely we have learned now that we don't announce signings until they are over here.

It happens quite regular in football and many clubs struggle because of the international 50% rule which means a player must have played in at least 50% of his countrys internationals in that season. One example was when Manchester United signed Manucho and he was denided a work permit as he'd only played around 40% that year so United shipped him off to Panathanikos for the remander of the season as greece is an easy country to get into apparently and then re applied and were sucessfull. Another case was Andersons being turned down but Manchester United won the appeal after using his age as a mitigating circumstance. Others that have had similar problems have been Rafeal and Fabio DeSilva again this was down to age.

I'm trying to think of non EU players in the premiership and it's only really a handfull tbh and they are all international players.

[cough] De bartello [cough]

Not wishing to be pedantic, but the original press release did state that the signing was pending visa clearance.

None of this though can explain how certan clubs seem more able to get players visa's when the sports governing body has already allowed those clubs to sign more over'seas players in the competition rules

To say there is no influence is to stick ones head in the sand

That it did and sadly for Neil Kelly for the second time in a season he's been faced with a bit of a "Jason Ferris situation."

I felt it pointless to keep asking about the Williams signing with my interviews because it was pending the visa application plus I was boring myself with the same question.

I had a feeling a couple of weeks ago that he'd get denied.

Yea right he looks like he won`t be seeking work or paying taxes and will be a risk to the safety of the country, as opposed to the vast amounts of refugess who we know FA all about....This country`s upside down and run by goons, who at least are au fait in claiming expenses....