I know McMenemy was classed as an import but he was pretty much an English bred/trained player and massively underated. Yeah Fitz and O'Meley are good for us but they were never going to be anyone to build a team around for the long run due to their age.

Berrigan isn't really a hooker so I think that says more about us than him and it was a Tri-nations that Tony won, sorry.

all these posts protesting that "you might as well bend the quota rules if everyone else is doing it" just sound like really weak justifications for something that so many of you, thought was so very wrong, when rovers were accused of it.
hull and rovers fans in double standards shocker (again!)

You did it with bells on to be fair...

don't feed the pathetic trolls, it only encourages them

The quota should never become unenforceable. Due to the super league being a franchise teams have to agree to the rules set out by the governing body. If the governing body state in the rules you can have a maximum of 5 quota players and quota players include "blah blah" if you do not adhere to these rules you will be removed from the competition.

There was a meeting in Perpignan in 2007 of all SL chairmen, and an agreement made to set out reducing numbers of overseas players and increasing homegrown ones. At that meeting all agreed to closing loopholes. Since then some teams adopted the arrangements in both spirit and to the letter, others did the opposite and sought dispensation and to find loopholes to exploit.

IMO FC went down the first route initially, indeed had pre-empted the expected reductions in overseas players and in late 2007 fielded a 17 with only one overseas player and 11 homegrown to beat Bradford. We embraced the spirit and the letter of the new rules. I think at that point we were quite smug in thinking we were a bit ahead of the game. However, in the context of other teams doing the opposite and in many cases increasing their overseas roster, and our own youth development's failure to deliver any current first team regulars since the change in rules (Houghton apart), it seems a case of "If you can't beat them, join them."

To hold clubs to 5 overseas players each requires a gentlemen's agreement, as there are too many legal loopholes available, despite the agreement made in 2007. In the absence of gentlemen, we may as well sink to the levels of others, apparently. Very disappointing. But not as disappointing as the lack of players being brought through our own academy and being given opportunities to break into the first team.

No worries. Not sure how you view Tony as a hooker but view Berrigan as *not really* a hooker... The year before signing for us, Berrigan played interchange hooker for the maroons.

The question was of standard. As much as I liked Tony, Domic and McMenemy, IMO Fitziggbon, O'Meley and Berrigan are of a much higher standard than Tony, Domic or McMenemy..

No, silly. It's cheaper because you don't have to bother developing players. Someone else does all that for you and you just pop out and sign whoever fits the bill.

Look at how (some, many) clubs try to circumvent the quota rules now. If all restrictions were taken away they'd do away with all but the flimsiest facade of a youth structure.

Tom Briscoe? (From Featherstone, iirc, but a Hull FC-produced player).

Oops - missed out the Hull-born bit.

I think I was trying to say that I reckon it's better to have, how can I put this succinctly.. less of a marquee siging, McMenemy, Swain, Seymour, than a better quality who is a bit older who are always going to be short term stop gaps.

Two year deals with options are always a bit up in the air after just one season and not great for a settled squad in my opinion.

I like the Melbourne approach of spending big on a quality backbone of players and then using a mixture of journeymen and youngster to fill in the gaps. The quality on the pitch and from the coaching ( ) seems to bring these players on in leaps and bounds, they learn how to win.

doesn't change the fact it's hipocrasy. and in answer to standee i'm not trolling just passing an opinion and as i hinted at in my original post it's both sets of fans double standards i'm complaining about. You only have to look as far as a ben cockayne thread for evidence of that.

The need to bend the rules is a result of shambolic coaching and management at the club since 2006 leaving us with a huge void in the squad which should be filled by good quality players from our youth set up.

Anyone still think giving Obst a 2 year deal won't make a difference to our recruitment for next season?

Not when he gets his passport due to residency, no.