It's amazing how nobody can genuinely have an opinion when it comes to anything that remotely looks bad on the Celtic Crusaders.

It's easy if it's a fan of a lower division club or say Wakey, Cas or Salford. They are bitter and flatcappers.

It get's a bit more inventive though when it comes to fans of other clubs. They are often ignored and then brought up as if they are Widnes fans a couple of pages later or they are still just called flatcappers. If they are in the media, they are just negative anti-RL journalists and now well Phil just want's to be in the limelight.

Couldn't possibly be his real opinion. How ludicrous a notion is that!

Depends on the exact offence I guess. The article linked to a couple of posts up has a fair bit more detail, and it looks like the key factors are a change in stance by the UKBA and the fact that the Crusaders players were playing in SL rather than the Championship. That would indicate that players and clubs still in the Championship might be in the clear even if they have previously used the 'working holiday' loophole.

Then again, the UKBA isn't noted for consistency or clarity of thought, so who can say?

Plenty in common with the RFL then



Just watched B n A , spot on Phil Clarke

A total lack of confidence in the RFL and the way they are dealing with the expansion of the game

Sounds like a big stuff up brought about by UKBA being bloody minded and inconsistent.

You seriously think these players managed to find the ' loophole ' themselves without being told about it ?

And the brand new Celtic club that knew they needed to be at the top of NL 1 by mid 2008 also came up with this ' clerical error ' all by themselves back in 2006 ?

You sound like Stevo , how was it put on the TV , Muddying the waters when Clarkey was pushing for an open enquiry

It's all a big misunderstanding, could have happened to anyone, a learning experience, time to move on, no point crying over spilt milk, etc, etc.

Deciding which teams are given SL licenses is like deciding which person gets chucked out of the Big Brother house - only more cynical.

Surely by that you are implying that there were better licence applications than the 14 given, non?

So who were they?

If they lose the franchise then we should go with 13 for the next two seasons

Statement from Bradford news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 210795.stm

Statement from Bradford news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 210795.stm

Quote ="GSF"Statement from Bradford news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 210795.stm'" Perhaps he's finally figured out how much of a cry baby he looked after Millenium Magic and doesn't want to make the same mistake again?

Quote ="GSF"Statement from Bradford news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 210795.stm'" Perhaps he's finally figured out how much of a cry baby he looked after Millenium Magic and doesn't want to make the same mistake again?

Once again, the Celtic players were not unique in using this loophole over the last several seasons. It was commonplace in the semi-pro sides, and the UKBA either weren't worried about it or just didn't know.

The Celtic players appear to have been caught out by trying to use the same loophole as professional players and by the general crackdown on all things visa related that has caused problems for a number of Australian players this season.

As has been said before, nobody involved comes out of this with much credit.

Just watched a re-run of B&A and Clarkey was spot on. Even Stevo made a bit of sense. The RFL needs a rethink about how foreign players play in SL and other leagues now, so that this does't happen again.

record number of aussie players and coaches in superleague. dont they know . we aussies are taking over superleague

Just to remind people.

On page 17

The RFL are innocent, just like ronnie Biggs, the lybian bomber and while we're at it, Thatcher didn't close the mines down.....
see, I have read the AUP

I think you'll find Biggs and the Lybian Bomber did do it. Thats a matter of fact.



oh sorry FACT (tm)

I agree with the contents of the statement of the Bulls Chairman when he says "there are clearly questions to be answered by the Rugby Football League" when you read the amount of information they have to be given by the clubs to satisfy the governing body that every player who is plying his trade over here is legitimate.

I think the club and the RFL have many questions to be answered over this and hopefully it will be done correctlyl.

Whoosh

Try again.

Anyone remember back the the second and last season of Paris on SL ?

IIRC, the club was in such a mess at the time it was controlled by two well-known RFL appointed directors.

IIRC, didn't the many hordes that played for them that season spend most of their time living and working in the UK and only going to Paris (with the away team) on tourist visas to by-pass French employment law ?

RFL spokesperson Craig

Spence has just stated on BBC manchester that the 6 players were removed from the Celtic match in France because they were worried they would not be let back into GB

Apparently this also resulted in all betting on that match being suspended

Marvelous , I wonder if the RFL questioned why at the time

god you still at this????
when i left it one tuesday, rather bored, you had some theory that james bond in the rfl had smuggled them in or forged documnets provided by rfl employee fingers meanus, and it was a big plot to make leigh lose just about every time they walk out on the pitch.

its getting like the diana enquiry this thred, let it go, someone made a mistake, there was no 3rd man erc etc

and as you have agreed earlier Bill, they have yet to be found at fault, in anyway, shape or form for any of the actions of the players

and so you have gone on to prove you are one of those ready to jump on the 'slightest mistake' by jumping on a mistake you cant be sure they have made yet