They don't have the same issues as us do they so not long I wouldn't expect!

What's that
Coming over the Hill
Is it a Visa
Er, sadly not

After doing a bit of digging in the T&A I turned up these articles: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... all_clear/ So in this one dated 10 April the application is in. In this article 3 weeks later it’s the same story. www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1526412 ... _imminent/ Now it’s another 4 weeks later… According to the Government website all tier 2 (sportsperson or qualified coach) visas are expected to be completed within 2 weeks if they’re being applied for from Australia (assuming it has been applied for from there). Not 6 weeks. For this type of visa you have to apply from overseas. See all the info here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-sportsperson-worker-visa Now Geoff could also have applied for a tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative or Sporting Visa). Rules are the same but they can take longer. 99% are done in 15 days. 100% in 30 days. Either way it should have come by now. Even allowing for “issues” these were supposedly resolved and the application was in over 6 weeks ago. Unless someone isn’t telling us the full story…

After doing a bit of digging in the T&A I turned up these articles: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... all_clear/ So in this one dated 10 April the application is in. In this article 3 weeks later it’s the same story. www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1526412 ... _imminent/ Now it’s another 4 weeks later… According to the Government website all tier 2 (sportsperson or qualified coach) visas are expected to be completed within 2 weeks if they’re being applied for from Australia (assuming it has been applied for from there). Not 6 weeks. For this type of visa you have to apply from overseas. See all the info here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-sportsperson-worker-visa Now Geoff could also have applied for a tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative or Sporting Visa). Rules are the same but they can take longer. 99% are done in 15 days. 100% in 30 days. Either way it should have come by now. Even allowing for “issues” these were supposedly resolved and the application was in over 6 weeks ago. Unless someone isn’t telling us the full story…

Quote ="Bullseye"After doing a bit of digging in the T&A I turned up these articles: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... all_clear/ So in this one dated 10 April the application is in. In this article 3 weeks later it’s the same story. www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1526412 ... _imminent/ Now it’s another 4 weeks later… According to the Government website all tier 2 (sportsperson or qualified coach) visas are expected to be completed within 2 weeks if they’re being applied for from Australia (assuming it has been applied for from there). Not 6 weeks. For this type of visa you have to apply from overseas. See all the info here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-sportsperson-worker-visa Now Geoff could also have applied for a tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative or Sporting Visa). Rules are the same but they can take longer. 99% are done in 15 days. 100% in 30 days. Either way it should have come by now. Even allowing for “issues” these were supposedly resolved and the application was in over 6 weeks ago. Unless someone isn’t telling us the full story…'" So essentially what you're saying is, you're "calling bullsheet" (Which I don't disagree with, I think we're being fed a lot of lies at the moment)

Quote ="Bullseye"After doing a bit of digging in the T&A I turned up these articles: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... all_clear/ So in this one dated 10 April the application is in. In this article 3 weeks later it’s the same story. www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1526412 ... _imminent/ Now it’s another 4 weeks later… According to the Government website all tier 2 (sportsperson or qualified coach) visas are expected to be completed within 2 weeks if they’re being applied for from Australia (assuming it has been applied for from there). Not 6 weeks. For this type of visa you have to apply from overseas. See all the info here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-sportsperson-worker-visa Now Geoff could also have applied for a tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative or Sporting Visa). Rules are the same but they can take longer. 99% are done in 15 days. 100% in 30 days. Either way it should have come by now. Even allowing for “issues” these were supposedly resolved and the application was in over 6 weeks ago. Unless someone isn’t telling us the full story…'" So essentially what you're saying is, you're "calling bullsheet" (Which I don't disagree with, I think we're being fed a lot of lies at the moment)

Just keeping us up to date with things



There's obviously a hold up with it or we're being told porkies. Too much time has elapsed now for that not to be the case.

Saints sacked Cunningham on 10 April. I'd suggest their visa application for Holbrook went in a while after that. I'm not sure how our application for Toovey's visa could take longer if it was "in" as McFarlane and Athwal were suggesting on 10 April with all the boxes ticked and red tape taken care of.

With Pheonix the issue was that he was playing 7s rather than rugby league and so was not deemed relevant to the application. How long ago was Toovey an NRL coach? Could it be that it was too long ago to be deemed relevant?

It was about a year. Slightly more perhaps.

Wouldn't have thought it would be an issue then

2015 I think for Toovey.

Just looking through the application to become a sponsor (i.e. for the club to be able to apply for a visa for someone they must be a listed sponsor)

Just checked the register of sponsors and Bradford Bulls 2017 is on there Not sure when we went on. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... onsors.pdf So we’re just waiting for the Home Office to process the visa, assuming it is submitted – they must be satisfied with our banking arrangements for us to be a sponsor. That’s good enough for me – for now!

Just checked the register of sponsors and Bradford Bulls 2017 is on there Not sure when we went on. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... onsors.pdf So we’re just waiting for the Home Office to process the visa, assuming it is submitted – they must be satisfied with our banking arrangements for us to be a sponsor. That’s good enough for me – for now!

Some serious investigation work carried out today, well done Bullseye!

Quote ="Bullseye"Just checked the register of sponsors and Bradford Bulls 2017 is on there Not sure when we went on. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... onsors.pdf So we’re just waiting for the Home Office to process the visa, assuming it is submitted – they must be satisfied with our banking arrangements for us to be a sponsor. That’s good enough for me – for now!'" I notice we are only listed for Tier 5 though - so does that mean Toovey can only apply as a temporary worker and not a coach? Whereas St Helens for example are Tier 2 - Sport

Quote ="Bullseye"Just checked the register of sponsors and Bradford Bulls 2017 is on there Not sure when we went on. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... onsors.pdf So we’re just waiting for the Home Office to process the visa, assuming it is submitted – they must be satisfied with our banking arrangements for us to be a sponsor. That’s good enough for me – for now!'" I notice we are only listed for Tier 5 though - so does that mean Toovey can only apply as a temporary worker and not a coach? Whereas St Helens for example are Tier 2 - Sport

Thanks for the research Bullseye.Here's the extract from the tier 5 regulations . As at today's date the 2017 Bulls have a tier 5 license but I cannot find when it wasgranted - could have been very recently. If , as theBulls implied, that was in place by early April , it's a mystery why it is taking so long. Unless an NRL Grand Final coach is not classed as a very highly skilled person or the RFL have not endorsed the application!


Creative and Sporting
The creative and sporting worker category is for a small number of very highly skilled people coming to the UK to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists.

In order to apply under this category you must have a valid Tier 5 certificate of sponsorship from a licensed Tier 5 sponsor. Your sponsor must have an endorsement for you from the governing body for your sport, which confirms you meet the governing body's requirements to give their endorsement. The governing body must be recognised by the UK Home Office.

Length of stay
Usually until one month after the period of work stated on your certificate of sponsorship, and up to 2 years with extensions.

Sportspeople can extend their visa upto a maximum stay of 12 months, while creative workers can extend their visa upto a maximum stay of 24 months.

Way tier 5 description reads sounds like that applies for actual players, but maybe not coaches/managers. Whats the description for tier 2?. maybe we've been granted our tier 5 license, hence us being able to apply and be rejected for phoenix but are still waiting on the tier 2 needed for Toovey.

Being us, I expect it'll all end in Tiers

seems to me it's like this, if we stay up he's our coach, if we go down he's gone..

Where's he going to be 'gone' to, though?

He's not had a job in the NRL for a year or so and presumably, since he's here in the Championship and has no visa, we're free to assume he's had no offers from SL either, even though there have been vacancies. This suggests to me that his name isn't exactly on the lips of lots of clubs, (big or otherwise).

Geoff may well be the coach who leads us back to SL and to Grand Final glory and then stays for ten years to be our best coach ever. I really don't know, I can no more look into the future than anyone else, but if that is to be the case then, there are very few signs about.

Toovey's a chartered accountant and has apparently been making enough money doing that in the time between him leaving Manly and coming here.

If we do go down I don't expect he'll stay.

....A pity that, because if we had any money, we could have used his accounting skillsets!

Can we not employ him as an accountant? And then he can coach on the side? Would that be a different visa?

I think there's rules against that...

And since when did we ever employ somebody who could actually, ya know, keep proper accounts?

The way we are playing you have to hope he is a better accountant.

But he aint coaching the team........................................

.........................................So he can't be accountable! Hasn't got an awful lot going for him at the moment has he then!