What is he employed as then?

If Mason's Tongan passport doesn't arrive by the time that Dobson is fit, then HKR may be interested in getting him loaned out but retained 'ownership' until the end of the season. They still have him back, and he isn't going completely.

Cleaner, or was that just players wives at some clubs who took on other roles to bump up wages?



The point about loopholes is right, but sadly, legally, there's not much the RFL can do about it thanks to Kolpak rulings and freedom of movement for EU passport holders. While clubs, us included, import a poor standard of player because they have a passport or non-quota, what can we do?

Signings like Mason, even if late in his career, should be welcomed as they are big names and bring something to the competition, especially the media interest in the last week, and I'm sure, when he comes to Belle Vue, he'll add a few on the gate.

A signing like Winterstein (for want of another thousand examples) brings nothing at all to the club or the competition but keeps a British player out of the squad.

Sad fact is that were we to have spent as we have in the past, very few of these lads in the team now would have got a game this year, as we'd have a squad full of the mediocre third-rate Aussie.

Quote ="Uptoncat"Didn't we do the same with jd? Can't see the problem with it really. They did this in order to get him to debut at home and cash in on it. Forward thinking really. If masons Tongan passport never materialises then maybe they will have problems and they'd have to release another overseas player in order to reregister dobson'" Not the same as when we did it with JD, we did it so we could field a team not to accommodate an overpriced Australian - Tongan www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/10217

Quote ="Uptoncat"Didn't we do the same with jd? Can't see the problem with it really. They did this in order to get him to debut at home and cash in on it. Forward thinking really. If masons Tongan passport never materialises then maybe they will have problems and they'd have to release another overseas player in order to reregister dobson'" Not the same as when we did it with JD, we did it so we could field a team not to accommodate an overpriced Australian - Tongan www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/10217

Dobson's visa will be just to play rugby. If he is employed in any other capacity, HKR will need to prove there is no-one in the UK that could have been employed to do the job.

If we sign him it could save HKR from a Crusaders episode.

Im not privy to any dealings and i certainly dont make out i know exactly whats happened but but we have a solicitor as chairman and the rfl have agreed what we are doing is ok so i cant see any probo tbh.

Your club, helped along by the RFL, has acted within the letter of the rule, that seems clear. What's also clear however, is that they have totally disregarded the [ispirit[/i of the rule.

Genuine question - do you feel proud of your board over the Mason/Dobson episode and more broadly, your mostly Aussie squad?

I think we have been in that position before haven't we

Im proud of my club even if we have too many non british players.We have come on a hell of a long way since we went into admin and are now playing catch up.Its a bit like a question i could ask waky fans,are you happy with having recieved the sky money for a number of years without updating belle vue to a better standard ? and another question is how many players do waky have that are not english ?I reckon Rovers have 10.
Most of the non british players we have,vella,newton were signed before the number rules came in so are exempt but will soon be gone and rovers will have to sign players from these shores.
I could go on and on but to be fair you dont want to hear it,bottom line is that rovers have done everything with RFL backing and thats what counts,not the morals and spirit and fans thinking its not right !!
Sorry forgot to add that Newton is american brought up in australia !
Peter.

Yep, very much the pot calling the kettle black. As I said earlier, were it not for our financial issues, I'm sure we'd be stocked up on below average players who can't or couldn't make it in the NRL, as we had been for years.

It's certainly not the pot calling the kettle black - I didn't call anyone anything, I asked a genuine question. I even included the precis 'genuine question', to avoid any confusion.

Peter, are you aware we did not recieve any Sky money when we entered SL and have always played catch up. Its been a struggle and without a sugar daddy it will always be.

A level playing field for all unless you are Wakey mate, not that we've helped ourselves,sadly.

You must have got some serious sky money after a couple of years i guess ?
Was it 97 that we beat you every game and then when it mattered you did us in the play offs ?
Always remember stood down by the players "tunnel"at BV watching a beaten up stan gene with his bloody head wrapped up going off and andy kelly shaking every rovers player as they went by !
Anyhows if you got sky from say 2000 you are still 6 years in front of us !!
We have tried to promise and deliver on the ground front but from what ive seen Belle Vue hasnt had that much spent on it and the BOD has known for years its had its time.
But hey dont get me personally too wrong,i love the old traditional grounds like yours and hate the DWs anf KFCs of this world.
Always had a brilliant pitch mind has BV.
Give me a bv or Batley or Cas over the new stadiums anyday of the week but times ar changing and old traditionalists like me are dieing out !!!

It was in 1998. Great play off game that!

I know what you are saying but the truth is we lost 3 years in NL1 you lost 9 but we both lost the chance to be in there at the beginning when the real money was floating about. I don't think it's any fluke that the silverwear has remained firmly in the hands of those teams who where in SL from the start - with only Hull FC and Hudds making a real dent and that only after both of them receiving a cash and player boost after the disgaceful destruction of Gateshead and especially Sheffield to save them.

It's only when you cast your mind back to these event that you realise what a corrupt sham SL is and how complicit some fans are in it.

As a mate of mine harps on RUGBY LEAGUE IS THE GREATEST GAME IN THE WORLD AND THE MOST BENT !!!!

You have to make the best of the cards you get dealt and going back to the topic,rovers seem to have done this dereg of Dobbo after consulting the rfl so unless the rfl change their minds its all above board.
lol about the rfl coz i agree with you guys that say drinkin in a brewery etc.

Dobson is off to Saints anyway isn't he?

Replacing Eastmond with immediate effect????

Well not until he recovers from his injury.

Is it worth having Eastmond for rest of season if saints let go and Bath not ready for him..?

We need a scrum half quick and this is a quick fix.

The club need a scrum half who wants to play RL, if he can't be bothered for Saints he'll certainly not push the boat out for Trinity.

The thing is his not pushing the boat out will still be well above any level our players are at. It could be just the thing he needs to get away for a while.

I don't think any player who can't be rsed, no matter how talented, would bring anything worthwhile to the club other than discontent.

A certain former utility player springs to mind