Dobson Re-registered??

Hull Kingston Rovers Chairman, Neil Hudgell has commented on an eventful week at Craven Park.

Hudgell faced the gathered media after the game alongside Head Coach Justin Morgan to discuss an eventful week at Craven Park that saw Michael Dobson re-registered after his return from injury, with Willie Mason de-registered whilst the club continues to wait for his Tongan passport.

Hudgell reiterated the club's statement yesterday saying: "The situation is that he (Mason) is de-registered until the passport situation is finalised.

"If we get the whole thing on the table, over the last few years the club has taken some gambles to get where we are and we've been successful in some respects.

"When we signed him (Mason) we knew that we had to get him a passport and we had it on good authority that he would get a passport.

"It hasn't happened so we as a club need to take the rap for that and me as Chairman needs to hold my hands up and say that at the moment that's not worked out but we're still working on it.

"At the moment there's a number of imponderables and possibilities.

"The bottom line from our perspective is that the club's bigger. I spoke to the players after the game and I think that's what has happened this week has had some element of distraction but they rose above it and I thought they showed fantastic character and commitment and that epitomises what the club is about."

Hudgell confirmed once again that there had been no approach from French rugby union club Toulon despite media speculation.

"There has been no contact from Toulon," said Hudgell.

"I didn't know about an alleged connection with a French rugby union club until Wednesday morning," he added.

Hudgell also explained the club's decision to re-register Michael Dobson and said he hopes to extend the contract of the Australian scrum-half but said that no new contract extension had been signed contrary to yet more media speculation earlier this week.

"I think in the circumstances it was the right thing to do," said Hudgell.

"When Michael picked up his injury it was always on the understanding that we could re-register him when he was fit.

"So it was seen to be the most fair and transparent thing to do in the circumstances.

"We are hopeful that Michael will extend his stay at the club. He's obviously a very important player to the club, pivotal to what we're trying to achieve and a very popular player and he's a very nice kid as well. He's the sort of person we want at the club.

"I'm not going to mitigate for what's happened because it falls on my shoulders but we took a gamble and at the moment it hasn't worked out.

"It looked a low risk gamble because we had clear and unequivocal evidence from the Tongan Prime Minister saying he (Mason) was entitled to a Tongan passport and he would get one.

"We are where we are. Willie sits on the sidelines, Michael's playing and the situation remains a fluid one."

The Rovers Chairman also commented on criticism of the club for the registration situation.

"Let's be absolutely frank about it, dispensations go on left, right and centre.

"I can say without any hesitation that only one other club has made any comment about what's happened here and that's because most clubs have at some time had some dispensation for something.

"The fact it's Willie Mason makes it high profile but if you were to ring around the Super League clubs and ask them for a view I think you'll find that, at some time or another, they've all had a little bit of help with cutting through red tape and getting players on the pitch.

"Ultimately that is what it's all about.

"Whilst we are in the situation where we've had one overseas player too many it is based purely on a technicality but you have to respect the rules.

"We're perfectly happy with the stance that has always been taken by the RFL on the matter. The reality is it was our call to do the deal at the time when we still needed to get the passport and we've got to take the raps for that.

"We've been saying for weeks any day now but I expect there will be movement on it sooner rather than later."