Of course there is room for doubt. There is always room for doubt.



If the players lied on their forms, that alone creates room for doubt. We do not know what they did to attract the punishment they have been given.

If the club are found guilty of anything they'll probably just get docked the usual 2 points. Now if they are unfortunate enough to go into administration they'll have the book thrown at em (probably not in a Rochdale way but in a London way if you get me). They come out of it ok either way.

Am sure this broke, about a month ago, in RL press & on RL radio hour(2)

I think it was the terms of employment....they were employed by some company and were playing RL as a hobby...this was a couple of yrs ago..iirc

or maybe not

If this is true SS, then I think the club do have to pay the price. At first I was thinking that perhaps the players should take some responsibility, but if the club was complicit in blatant misdeclaration to obtain visas then they should be punished.

That was mentioned but was it the reason for the deportations? The story was in connection with their finances, not visas, so the two may not be connected at all.

I think the RFL is correct not to comment YET.



Lets wait and see why the visas are incorrect, what changed from the previous 2 years for the likes of Van Dyke.



As for not having a stadium, neither do we, Wigan, Hull FC etc.



The Welsh game at grass roots has grown, as it has in london and the professional clubs help this happen.



If they are being paid by another employer then there are breaches of the cap, if only in spirit.



However if this is a fraud at many levels the RFL need to punish them.

There have been similar problems in some of the local cricket leagues with overseas professionals although the visa problems appear to have been picked up before the players landed here.



The contracts are the clubs problem and in cricket copies have to be lodged at the League HQ, in this case Red Hall and presumably a copy of each visa would also be lodged at Red Hall.



There have been rumblings over this matter for some while and it was said that it concerned visas from a couple of years ago but clearly there is more to it than first thought.



What if a weakened Celtic team gets beaten by a large score which results in one team getting into the play offs and another misses out?



Salford City Reds have their own visa/contract expert, step up Mr Steve Simms Esq.

Sorry pal - you are talking out of your ar!e - the offence is committed by the employer - regardless of the employee lying or attempting to deceive -

RFL have now issued a statement saying err err...............................





that they are not saying anything, but they don't check players eligability to work in this country.

Yep did a good job this year:



1) Getting everyone here

2) Getting a great standard of player here



Didnt get the beers in this year (yet) but 2 out of 3 aint bad.

You must have been to the toilet then, definately 3 out of 3 for Steve.

Not true.



The employer has to be guilty of 'knowingly employing' an illegal immigrant for them to be prosecuted. If an employee has lied on their form, fooled the Border Agency and thus been accepted for employment, the only responsible party is the employee. Only if the employer is found to have known about the deception and continued with the employment is the employer also held responsible.



Or so I have just today been advised.