They cannot pass legislation and even if they could France has the right to decide who they issue visas to and I suspect there would be a costly legal battle if the RFL tried this.

Unfortunately as we witness year in year out Red Hall continue to make this great game we love the laughing stock of British sport!!
one almighty mess after another isnt it!!!

To make this situation worse Aparently the RL have said that should his official advisor and the government not object he would be able after meeting his officials be allowed to play RL in this country for any team . ........
Peter Sutcliffe replied by saying he could not wait to leave Broadmoor and has been training by himself!!

only kidding of course!! but you get the point

And then be accused of "restraint of trade"?

Yeah right.

The RFL cannot govern EU law but they can change regulations within their sport, such as changing the quota exemption that Cats have or such as not allowing them to register the player.

Can't we buy Crocker a house in France and then bring him in on friday morning and fly him back on Sat night.

But it's ok for the other 13 clubs to trade/operate at an unfair disadvantage

Sky Sports....

While playing at home will not be a problem, the stand-off may have issues when it comes to away fixtures.

Although the UK Borders Agency have no objection to him playing in France, they say it will be up to individual immigration officers at UK airports to decide whether he is allowed entry into this country

They let the showiz people woth previous convictions in to go on talk shows etc...so I suppose they will have to let him in

Care to elaborate?

How can individual immigration offers be left this to their discretion. Thats makes them look even more of a joke. Surely there needs to be consistency of application. Its like the boss of weatherspoons pub saying he'll leave the price of a pint down to whoever serves you!

Britanny Spears performed on x-factor she has a criminal conviction...she would have been paid for her performance.

Wasnt that before the new guidelines? Does she have a conviction?

It says to me that they will not pre-judge it, which is correct. There will be a record of the refusal and if he doesn't mention it they'll get him for deception. Either way, I'll be very surprised if he gets in.

are the rules the same for US citizens as Australians?

So he turns up and legally has to declare he has been turned down for a visa/entry. The individual there then makes their own mind up as to whether to send him away or not. Why waste time, why dont immigration just centrally tell him to not bother turning up cos he wont get in? I dont see the logic of the approach.

Yes

Circumstances may change. If he's acquitted of the charges, he will have no problem getting in (unless there is another reason for refusal). Until the court case, I'd say on the basis of the central immigration computer, that he hasn't a prayer.

So basically, If Catalans were to fly in to Leeds/Bradford airport every week they come...If the Immigration officer was, say a Leeds fan, and they were playing Leeds, he could deny him entry and when they're playing Bradford/Saints etc. allow them in, its ludarous.

BTW I'm sure they're much more profesional but still....

or go to a different airport untill he finds one that lets him in, then he will just fly there all the time then travel to where catalan are playing?

Thats my gripe. Things like this should never be down to the discretion of any individual person. It should never be upto them, especially if centrally immigration have turned him a visa down.

I would hope not!

TBH I'm hoping that other clubs (especially Bradford) kick off about this whole thing. It has the potential to be a massive loophole and could be seen, as people have said, to give Catalans an unfair advantage.

How does an appropriate 'kick off' happen?

Should the RFL capture a central complaint from all member clubs?

Bradford have strangely given their blessing I believe.

all the reports seem to suggest so, I agree, it's all very odd.

Letters to local MPs who then write to the Immigration Minister (Phil Woolas) to protest, the RFL could write to the Sport Minister if enough people forced their hand. He could take it up a notch and write to the Home Secretary (Woolas's boss).

Individuals could follow the same path (my MP is the ex sports Minister Richard Caborn).

I'm not convinced it would have an effect, but raisng it could at least get people thinking about it.