But the issue here is, how could a club official not spot they were on tourist/student visas? (and therefore illegally employed)

Who told 6 individual players to apply for these particular visas? (or did they all just turn up one day at Celtic and say 'I play rugby' - I don't think so)

How come no one at the RFL noticed that these players were playing with the wrong visas?

I think the world of Rugby league deserves some straight answers.

But surely they didn't play proffessional sport as they were working for Dekor PLC and playing for free , as Mr Samuels suggested in his recent interview

Interesting. Although I'm not sure I would believe anything written in the Sun!

There is a statement from the RFL in print also, found rlon Chris Irvine's blogrl which backs up what I thought concerning the RFL's involvement in visasThe RFL have today issued this statement

So all those silly people talking conspiracy by the RFL (thinking especially of Starbug) really don't know what they are talking about.

As for whether the club was deliberately complicit in what happened with the players, that remains to be seen as presently the investigation is still underway.

, Of course , they were working as Community dev officers in Wales , which of course is nothing to do with the RFL

They weren't over here on either tourist or student visas.

They were over here on working holidaymaker visas. The government have now tightened up on these but they were used prior to this year by sportspeople from all different sports for playing on a part-time basis. It is very likely that the visa they applied for back then was the right visa. However, from what was said on Boots'n'All this evening, the question appears to be whether they played fulltime or part-time on that visa and whether the club was in any way complicit if they played fulltime. That's aside from any 'quick fixes' they may, as a group, have been advised to employ or employed by themselves in order to obtain the visa in the first place. Either way, the investigations are retrospective because all the players were legal for this season and because of that I think a 10 year ban is overly harsh.

Well no wonder you write such tripe if you're only a woman!! Go make your husbands tea love - stick to what you know, instead of coming on here preaching to everyone!!