Considering Vella doesn't count on the quota then no.

That's exactly what I was thinking god what a bloody mess

Isnt he on a Maltese passport?

Clinton has apparently relocated to Brough and is a lot more settled there.

And seeing as he will be playing on Sunday, de-registering him wouldn't be a wise move.

And also stop saying why not de-register Vella. You might as well de-register Netherton, it won't make a difference.

His EU passport takes him off the quota, because he signed pre 2008 takes him off non fed.

I can see that I might have to start charging for visa advice.....

I don't know of a restriction on the number of visas, but it would probably confuse the Immigration Officer as there would be conflicting records of arrivals and visa numbers might not match up properly on the IT system, so they'd probably want him to be on one passport and one visa.

The visa folks will need to see his passport each time he travels in and out of the country, but I think the above issue is more to do with the interpretation of the RFL operational rules on the quota. I don't imagine renewing the visa in the Tongan passport will be an issue. But it will cost just over a grand to get it done quickly, and that also means the passport has to be issued and arrive here. It was illegal to send a passport across international borders, but don't think it is now. Maybe Hudge will camp outside the Tongan High Commiossion to wait for it arriving in the diplomatic bag.

Better keep it out of the sun then, We'd be fookered if it melted.

The Tongan passport must just be for the RFL I imagine. That is likely what we've been waiting for (and still are it seems). The assertions that he has had his visa for a while look plausible again.

I'd be curious to see the rules about de- and re-registering players. I can't imagine they allow you to rotate your spots between whoever is fit to play at any given time, all that easily.

IIRC (and my memory may be playing tricks) you could de-register a player due to injury (Wigan did that with someone, Brian Carney, for cap reasons I belive), but it used to be a one way thing, ie once someone was de-registered that was it for the season, you can/couldn't flip them back and forth to suit circumstance.

But de-registration is not the same as terminating someones contract, so unless someone at rovers has dropped a clanger Dobson is still on contract, but not registered, and the RFL has put out a dodgy press release/website article.

yes your correct but vella wouldn't count because of his eu passport as i was corrected, if clinton was to be on the way out he would be the obvious one but it seems like he'l be in the 19 for sunday.

looks like dobbo was the only candidate. i cant imagine it will affect his contact in anyway and if it did we could always pay him his wages to water the plants

I've merged the two threads - hopefully still makes sense.

That's my reading of it. He's had the visa a while but as the quota won't let him play (or train?) here then he's not bothered to travel. The Dobson injury opened up an option and he's arrived.

As long as the RFL allow someone to "be" one nationality while travelling on a passport from a third country, he'll be OK. But he may be able to transfer the visa to the Tongan passport too.

If it arrives.

The Operational Rules only give one method to remove a contracted player from the register - termination of contract:



This would explain the RFL statement, and would mean that Dobson is currently a free agent.

Farcical.

Your right, a player who is de registered can't be re registered in the same season.

Lets hope your Board have thought this one through and got the ok from the RFL.

RE-REGISTRATION OF AN OVERSEAS PLAYER
C1:4:7 An "overseas Player" who is removed from a Club Register during the Season cannot then be placed back on that Club's Register in that same Season save with the permission of the Board.

So he is here as a Kiwi thus on quota until his Tongan one arrives at the Tongan high commision which is the UK.
Maybe the club think dealing with a commision in this country will be easier then just waiting until the Tongans get themselves in gear in Tonga.
Maybe as you say they want to be in a situation where they can rush his Tongan visa through when his passport finally arrives.

My memory wasn't playing tricks on me then.

The last 7 words maybe key here.
It may well the case that the RFL themselves want Mason here simply because of the press column inches he will give them and they have already cleared it with Rovers.
I do not for one second think Rovers or JM would have done this if they thought Dobson would be locked out of playing for the rest of the season or even made a free agent.

You'd effin' hope so!

Any precedents for the Board giving permission????

Yep, like I said you'd expect the KR Board to have already got this agreement - however you only have to look at the different language being used on the RFL and Hull KR sites re his contract to worry.

I wonder if the board have already agreed to re register Dobson. If not it seems a huge risk. If they have shouldn't they have already said so.

You'd also better hope that no club has the cap and quota space to make him an offer, because at the moment they can get him for free.

No they can't

According to the Operational Rules the wording on the RFL website is correct.