Its a bit of a nothing article though isn't it? No quotes, just speculation and un-named "friends" saying he's not happy. Does the Mail have O'Meeley on speed dial?

Can't believe I didn't work that one out. Well done James Smailes.



On a more serious point, are Rovers restraining Mason's trade here? He is a RL player, fit and available to play and presumably wants to play. Rovers will not re-register him, we are told. Unless he is made a free agent, therefore, Rovers would be preventing from playing in SL, which he has come round the world specifically to do.

No doubt Hudge will be drawing up yet another "confidentiality" agreement for Willie to sign.....doubt he will adhere though and it wont be long before he speaks some un-palatable truths about the way Rovers is run...

Rovers are only reaping what they have sown in this affair and it could hurt them in the future , unless silly contracts are handed out top level internationals are going to be wary about setting foot in East Hull, (not that Morgan could get many of these anyway) and i know many dont agree but building a side around a second grade Aussie scrum half who cannot tackle will never win us any trophies...a few more years bobbing about the mid table for Rovers...can or will the current board see that out...????

True enough - even now it is just a bit of fun, nothing to take too seriously. There are plenty more passionate than me - in [isome[/i cases that can [isometimes[/i be at the expense of perspective, IMO.



My opinion is that signing Galea and Mason without either a Maltese or Tongan passport confirmed/received was (without the benefit of hindsight), a smallish risk - but of a biggish hazard. For both passports to fall through - especially the way the Tongan one has, would be difficult to anticipate. For all the 'told you so's' that will likely be flying about - that was mainly about not getting a visa due to weeing in the street or the betting scandal. The intricacies (sp?) of Tongan politics are beyond most - that was the risk, of course.

Since then every decision seems to have been sensible, based on the assurances that we know were made. Perhaps the triumphal tone of the unveiling was unwise - again with hindsight. And my suspicion is that the club maybe jumped the gun on anticipating that the RFL would accept a prime minister's letter in lieu of a passport, creating the excitement (and subsequent disappointment) around the famous announcement. And were blindsided by the Toulon rumours.

Once bitten, twice shy and I'd want more caution next time - but I've thought the board made the best judgements they could at the times they were made, so I won't be calling for blood because it didn't work out. Stuff happens - you learn and move on.

Hull fans are well within their rights to lap this up (on the other thread!), but it'd be unwise for Rovers fans to buy into that 'analysis' - IMO.

I have to disagree with all the Rovers fans claiming to be embarrassed by their club. Our board took a punt on bringing probably the highest profile (not saying the best) RL players in recent history, to our club. You only have to look around the various boards on RL Fans to see the fans of most other clubs were excited at the prospect of seeing Mason play against their team, and in theory the increase in attendances would have gone towards paying for his contract.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their conrtol it hasn't panned out as we would have liked, but fair play to Hudge and the board for trying to keep our club moving forward, whatever they do they do for the good of Hull KR, and this is a bump in the road that they have brought us a bloody long way down, and for that they have my thanks and support.
I am, today,on derby day, especially so, but always PROUD to be a fan of Hull Kingston Rovers!

Well said to both above posts, it says in HDM that mason did not know things were going to turn out like this us having to de register Dobbo IMO he knew exactly what was going to happen and this is just an excuse to say right I've been offered more money I'm of, he knew when he walked into the country he didn't have a Tongan passport so how did he expect KR to play him then. What ever hudge does he tries and does the best for the club, this news will be fish and chip paper in a few weeks the rovers squad need to roll up they're sleeves and get on with the rest of the season starting today.

.
disagree as much as you like.....
but the facts do stand on their own...
they have made themselves look amateurish with the way they have carried on...
how did you put it..."they took a punt"... there should of been no punts or gambles, at the end of the day we was full on the quota, the board knew this but still they signed another foreign player no matter the size of reputation, and then tried to bend around the rules etc creating the whole fiasco.
and it is embarassing, embarasiing for the fans and for the club.
the fanfare of his arrival was good press.... the fanfare of what seems his imminent departure is embarassing news..... now which do you suppose will be remembered the most?
simples his departure...
we are mostly by nature a arrogant species who take great pleasure in seeing suffering etc... which is why the departure will stick in peoples memories rather than his arrival.

Unlike some, i am a realist, i do not look down on my club as the be all and end all no matter what happens.... i see things as they are and how they are and will tell it like it is ..like it or not..

this fiasco is going to rumble on for weeks yet.

Probably until his passport arrives

this will hurt the club well into the future.....
no self respecting player of any quality will have seen and heard of this fiasco....
not put yourselves in their shoes..... would you want to come to a club that could possibly embarrass you with the way they carry on?

as i said i am a realist...
i see the damage it has caused, not just now but also for the future...

yet some gambles are worth taking.

I thought there was an RFL rule that said once you deregister a player you couldn't re-register him for the same club in the same season. Is that not correct then?

Is there another loophole or have I misread that rule?

You have to get dispensation from the RFL board. By the way, that's the best user name I've seen for ages.

Interesting article on Sporting Life, with quotes from Neil Hudgell...

[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/11/04/22/RUGBYL_Hull_KR.html&BID=480[/url

A few thoughts on this one:
1) Mike Smith, as Chief Exex, seems to have gone AWOL as the public face of the club. Odd since General Zod. said Smith is the best communicator the club has ever had - you'd think at times like this he's be at the forefront of everything in a week of immense PR pressure.
2) Hudgell seems to be implying that Rovers took a calculated risk and knew all along that Mason would need a Tongan passport and may not get one. Yet, just 3 weeks before the signing, the HDM ran a report to say Galea would be off quota. I think it was more like poor advice that Galea would get the Maltese passport and the resulting late Tongan passport bid was the only avenue Rovers could pursue.
3) "A little bit of help with red tape"? Mate, you've come a cropper trying to get double the base amount of overseas players in. More than a little bit of help, I think.
4) On RH it sounded like Cockayne, if found guilty, is on his way out. Hudgell referenced his previous issues at the club and talked of Rovers as a family club etc. Just my opinion.

These are bad times for Rovers flack is coming at us from all quarters. But having watched Rovers since i was in short trousers we are at our best when getting sand kicked in our faces.

BRILLIANT

Like today?

Thats it keep it coming i am writing all these names down and come the end of season when we have finished above your lot in the league. The Cab Man will once more have the last laugh.

Your over reacting mate IMO.

Too many rovers fans on here who act and sound like fc "fans" !!!

Nothing ventured nothing gained i think and just to see the biggest character in world RL turning out in a rovers shirt,even for 6 games is almost unbelievable.

Exactly, we'll come back stronger and stuff it down Hull's throats just like in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Exactly? So you were at your best today?

Agreed. Chances are he'll play again after the passport farce is resolved. If not so what? He signs for a French RU club and Rovers get a hefty transfer fee, that's terrible, really terrible.

In the scenario that he doesn't get a passport, Rovers can't play him but are still contractually obliged to pay him. They're hardly on the front foot to get a "hefty fee".