its a good break for him he might get a better contract with first time

Eastwood has british passport, so he is exempt.

He's exempt from being overseas trained?

Somehow I doubt that.

I do have some sympathy with TVOC's position on this and agree with him that it does not appear to be in the spirit of what was intended. However I can live with it, as we are not breaking the rules. But if we win the GF next year it may just take the tiniest edge of the pride I have felt the last three years.

I would have preferred to have signed an English centre or, better still, retained Smith, rather than sign an overseas player. However, this is not the first time we have used 'loop-holes' around the quota: the old quota system used be 3 and we had 7 in the 2004 squad. I don't think our success that year was tarnished and any success in 2010 won't be either. The problem is that the RFL's quota rules on overseas trained etc. don't seem watertight which is why they caved in so easily and allowed exceptions soon after they introduced them, presumably because they wouldn't stand up to legal challenge. Idealistically, I think tvoc is right and, as I said, I would have preferred to buy British, but practically, I don't think anyone can blame any club for building the strongest squad possible taking advantage of whatever 'loop-holes' are available. The RFL needs better rules, perhaps.

I don't think that was the same situation as we have today. Whatever the limit was set at in 2004 (and Leeds did have seven overseas players turn out for them in total over the course of that season) the limit was specifically set with a whole host of exceptions present in the system. The new quota was designed to remove the exceptions (it started at ten to allow teams the chance to adjust as the limit decreased over a number of years.)

Back to the present situation:

Is it the RFL or the clubs at fault where the intended limit is exceeded and is it a deliberate act on the club's part to work around the limits they all presumably agreed to introduce?

The limit is set to lower to six (from eight) but Leeds will have seven (up from their recent average of five.)

How did such a situation come about at Headingley?

1) Webb - 2011 - and
2) Buderus - 2010 - deals were negotiated in 2008 so were always part of the plan.

In order of announcements to the press

3) Leuluai extends his existing deal - 2011 - 29th May 2009

4) Lauitiiti extends his existing deal - 2010 - 2nd June 2009

5) Delaney's capture is announced - 2012 - 4th August 2009

6) Eastwood wins his Visa appeal - 2012 - 13th August 2009

=red7) Donald extends his existing deal - 2010 - 17th August 2009

So retaining Donald appears a deliberate act on Leeds' part to exceed the spirit of the quota and perversely could lead to the loss of one or more promising Academy players such as Ben Jones-Bishop and Jodie Broughton who could (and should IMO) be fighting over a place in the first grade at Headingley.