www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/sport ... -1-4945765 WAKEFIELD Trinity Wildcats have hit out at Super League rivals Hull FC over the “illegal” approach for prop Paul Johnson. The 24-year-old is set to be announced as an Airlie Birds player for 2013 with his two-year contract at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium coming to an end.

www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/sport ... -1-4945765 WAKEFIELD Trinity Wildcats have hit out at Super League rivals Hull FC over the “illegal” approach for prop Paul Johnson. The 24-year-old is set to be announced as an Airlie Birds player for 2013 with his two-year contract at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium coming to an end.

“Paul Johnson’s signed for Hull and they didn’t tell us, so that’s illegal,” said Wakefield chief executive James Elston.

It's illegal because you spoke to him a month before the anti tampering deadline without the permission of the club he was contracted to. It seems you signed him and put the contract in a safe until you thought it was safe to let Trinity know.



only applies to you, Adam Pearson and probably Sean McCrae

Unless they have proof he was approached before Sep 1st there is nothing they can do.

All the clubs know the rules.

Most of them break the rules.

If we did it and got caught we'll have to take what's coming to us.

But at least we've got the player

they should have offered him a better contract then, i'm afraid in todays game you have to pay the going rate or face losing players

Not guilty until proven otherwise.......So Wakey may as well shut up whinging to the media until they can produce the evidence, big babies

considering they don't even belong in the league, they'd do well to keep schtum I agree.

That's the thing Diogenes, what is the big stick to stop clubs doing this? The only thing I could think of is a transfer embargo to stop repeat offenders signing/registering new players for a season.

Always stories going round about this going on. In prior years there were often rumours of Huddersfield having signed a number of our players early and contracts locked in a safe until officially allowed to be released. This is purely speculation I've seen floating around from Wakefield fans. I don't (nor do the people making the allegations) have clear evidence to demonstrate this.

Effectively I believe the agents are primary culprits in these "rule breaking" situations. Agents are supposedly there to get the best deal for their clients, yet not the game.

I remember the stink at Hull FC last year over the young Briscoe brother signing for Leeds. The allegations made by Elston regarding Paul Johnson are serious and I'm sure he wouldn't make them lightly, he is a fairly level headed guy.

The games rules need enforcing both on and off the field in a consistent and no nonsense way.

Bit rich isn't it? Judging on you merging with Gateshead, Huddersfield with Sheffield, London being bankrupt previously, Hull KR having gone to the brink in the past we'd have no teams left!

Maybe we can deal with todays issues rather than old wives tales.

I'm no Wakey fan but I find that comment just stupid, how do a team averaging over 8,000 crowds and finishing in a play off position not belong in the league?

If Hull FC have illegally tapped up and signed a Wakey player why should Wakey not have the right to seek justice?

So, if Crusaders hadn't gone, you'd have retained a liscence?

Where is that new ground you promised??