Ben Galea's situation was almost identical wasn't it? He took up a one year contract extension thus removing him from the quota as he had been plying his trade here before 2008 the same as Berrigan. Whether it was taking up an option in his contract or signing a years extension is irrelvant as they are both the same thing in theory.

He was given an extension. AFAIK it wasn't an option in his original contract. Manu came off the quota using the same loophole (extension) so we already knew how to do that.

From what I understand the trick this time was to convince the RFL that a player taking up an option that was entirely down to him (the club had no say) counted the same as getting a new contract or being offered an extension.

Well to be honest this problem should be eradicated a few years down the line when most of these players either leave or retire. Then there can be no loophole using employment rights etc. However, will Hudgell find something new???

any approaches would be conditional depending on the berro situation. Any business with a decent planning process will have all of their possible options worked through to the point of decision to just make things happen. We showed a lack of foresight

'Maybe' and even 'probably' are not a good way to advertise a position. You weren't in a position to make an offer. Preliminary contact could have been made, but nobody would put off sorting their future until this late in the year through choice.

offering a role on the conditional basis of another variable i agree is not ideal for most players, however it would have still got us further on the front foot and maybe as a one off a certain player may have chose to take the conditional offer and see how it works out.

Had the club thought of it earlier they could have floated the idea with the rfl and got a pro forma answer. They would then have known that either Berro would stay and could come off or go with the same result. Fans had been talking about getting Berro off quota for some time not knowing whether it was possible or not but could see that it would be helpful. Had this be known earlier regardless of Berro's decision they could have talked with prospective players with a fair amount of certainty even though official "ratification" may have meant that any deal had to be on a "what if" basis until being formally sorted. That may of course still be the case in that we've been talking to players on this very basis? Who knows.

Can't help but feel that some people are making an issue of this just because they like to moan about the club.

None of us know how events unfolded and yet you're willing to jump to the conclusion that there was some measure of incompetence involved. I think that's rather depressing TBH.

The rules are very complicated and my opinion is very far from definitive - but, for his new fed-trained status to be useful wouldn't he have needed an EU (or similar) passport? Finding out how long this would take from the relevant (German? Irish?) authorities mightn't have been straight forward. This in turn, could have been looked at earlier - but maybe the club thought it'd be a bit insensitive to be pestering the lad. Lot of speculation there, I admit, but my point is that things are often more complicated in real life than they seem when viewed from on here.

My thoughts too.

Precisely.

There's also still the cap to manage while all this goes on. Do you just abandon pursuit of other targets while waiting on the outcome? If we'd got our main targets then there wouldn't have been space on the cap to get anyone in from overseas anyway.

As far as I understand it the only way you come off the quota is to have been here pre feb 08 now wether berrigan was able to claim the exemption this year is a good point but as far as I understand it that would have been the only problem.
As someone else has said FC could have possibly floated the idea with the RFL and then they would have had a fair idea if they should have been putting irons in fires.
Thus is all a pointless conversation ow though as what's done is done.

In order to qualify a player has to have been registered before Feb 08 AND have an EU passport or equivalent AND be in the final year of his contract. Berrigan only qualified under the pre-Feb 08 clause. In order to get him off the quota he first had to obtain an EU passport, then convince the RFL that being in the third year of a contract with an option for a fourth year was the same as being in the final year of a contract.

With all that's gone on over the last couple of seasons I can't see why some people think this would be a quick and easy process. Or indeed that the RFL would have responded in a timely or useful manner to the idea being 'floated' and effectively issue pre-emptive permission.

Is it classed as jumping to conculsions when previous evidence from our club demonstrates a history of incompetence? It's not like incompetence would be a one off is it with our current regime in place?

There is a difference between making mistakes and incompetence. In this particular area we have no history of incompetence whatsoever. Even if we did, you are further assuming that no lessons were learned from previous mistakes.

I would also humbly suggest that an incompetent regime would not have resulted in a club that makes profits year after year and sails through the SL franchise process with consummate ease.

Just because you don't agree with the choice of coach doesn't make the club 'incompetent'.

Oh - and yes, it would still be jumping to a conclusion.