Quote: Paul Youane "Not sure you're correctly informed on this one. Hampshire signed for Wigan when turning professional after playing service area for Hull. Hull would not receive a penny in such circumstances so there is no snatching-off of hands to be done. Plenty of clubs will have approached Hampshire to sign for them, Wigan will have paid him the going rate to sign.
With central funding for service areas stopping clubs are now free to recruit players from anywhere in the country not just their own "service area". There are a couple of clubs not happy about this.'"
Hampshire was at Hull but was a product of the Wakefield Service area, Hull took 3 lads from Wakefield Scholarship at the time, Hampshire, Luke Briscoe (now at Leeds) and one other who has since drifted from the sport.
Do not know if it's possible to play for Hull service area when you live in Wakefield. I think what actually happened was Rocky didn't actually sign anything with Hull. Briscoe went to Leeds with some contract screw up as well so it would not surprise me.
