: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:19 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

I dont know about lucrative, both saints and leeds gave a free ticket to round 4 with the season ticket, as the combined numbers add up to their capacity, they could have a full ground without taking £1!

I was saying this last night. The bonus though is that it will look superb on the beeb as their should be a superb crowd.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:21 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

I dont know about lucrative, both saints and leeds gave a free ticket to round 4 with the season ticket, as the combined numbers add up to their capacity, they could have a full ground without taking £1!

As did Bulls. For what good it did us.

I'm assuming it was some RFL-funded initiative to improve attendances in the earlier rounds, and that clubs would receive compo from the prize money pot or central funds or whatever. If not, then your point is more valid although there's still money to be made from the beer etc!

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:33 pm  

This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend.

This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:43 pm  

Adeybull wrote: This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend. The Catalans are confident Bird will be able to get past United Kingdom immigration officers >>>>>Border Agency

Adeybull wrote: This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend. The Catalans are confident Bird will be able to get past United Kingdom immigration officers >>>>>Border Agency

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:50 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

:DEPRESSED: >>>>>Border Agency

Hope he bloody well can, else we'll be up against him twice and Leeds will escape.

Its not the RFL or Cat's fault. In the slightest. Its this useless useless scumbag vermin UK administration.

Come the revolution brother...

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:53 pm  

Adeybull wrote: This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend. realistically I fully expect there to be reasons why he cant travel to uk on each possible occasion before his court case to avoid catalans the embarassment/bad publicity of him being turned away. Which means If gets convicted then the only SL clubs to have to play against him will be cas,wigan and us twice. Thats what really pee's me off about the situation. If a player isnt eligible to play for one superleague club for legal reasons then RFL should refuse to register him for any of the other 13 too. We now have a situation where catalans can sign players with NRL problems, on more lenient french visas, that are unavailable to the rest of Superleague and because catalans are there only possible destination they presumably wont have to pay as much as they might in a free market.

Adeybull wrote: This is just taking the pîss even more now Bird flying back to so won't be playing this weeken, but will be back in time to play us the following weekend. realistically I fully expect there to be reasons why he cant travel to uk on each possible occasion before his court case to avoid catalans the embarassment/bad publicity of him being turned away. Which means If gets convicted then the only SL clubs to have to play against him will be cas,wigan and us twice. Thats what really pee's me off about the situation. If a player isnt eligible to play for one superleague club for legal reasons then RFL should refuse to register him for any of the other 13 too. We now have a situation where catalans can sign players with NRL problems, on more lenient french visas, that are unavailable to the rest of Superleague and because catalans are there only possible destination they presumably wont have to pay as much as they might in a free market.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:18 pm  

mat wrote:

If a player isnt eligible to play for one superleague club for legal reasons then RFL should refuse to register him for any of the other 13 too. We now have a situation where catalans can sign players with NRL problems, on more lenient french visas, that are unavailable to the rest of Superleague and because catalans are there only possible destination they presumably wont have to pay as much as they might in a free market.

Owing to the vagueries of the work permit / visa laws this couldn't be seen through without all players applying for permits in both countries every time. E.g. if Bird had gone striaght to Cats without trying us first then how would we have known that he was ineligible for the UK and so how could the RFL ban him?

It does seem ridiculous that he can play for one club but not another owing to different rules but there doesn't seem to be any avoiding it.


At least it's not the RU where the French teams in the European cup don't have a salary cap like the British and Irish ones do!

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:53 pm  

Block5Bull wrote:

Owing to the vagueries of the work permit / visa laws this couldn't be seen through without all players applying for permits in both countries every time. E.g. if Bird had gone striaght to Cats without trying us first then how would we have known that he was ineligible for the UK and so how could the RFL ban him?

It does seem ridiculous that he can play for one club but not another owing to different rules but there doesn't seem to be any avoiding it.


At least it's not the RU where the French teams in the European cup don't have a salary cap like the British and Irish ones do!

you've got point there but if they've been refused for one country then surely theres a case for blocking them from signing for a team playing in the other on the rebound, especially as the french visa system is seemingly much laxer than ours so 99% of the time it is going to be catalans who get the advantage.

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:39 pm  

Any dates/times for these ties yet? It would be a bummer to book flights out assuming the game is on the Sat, flying back on Sun then find out the game is being televised on the Sunday...

I assume that Leeds - Saints will be one televised tie. Catalans - Bulls could be a good choice for the other. It will be a weekend out for the BBC guys too...

: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:46 pm  

mat wrote:

you've got point there but if they've been refused for one country then surely theres a case for blocking them from signing for a team playing in the other on the rebound, especially as the french visa system is seemingly much laxer than ours so 99% of the time it is going to be catalans who get the advantage.

Absolutely fair, but it's the sort of one that would be put in place only to fall away the second that someone challenges it. I could imagine it becoming a cause celebre in France if the English were seen to be trying to impose English law over the French.

Actually, come to think of it this could become the issue that could break RL through in the French conscious....