GeoffN posted:
Technically, Martin is quota but his younger brother Mark isn't!
Crazy!
Is it? I am sure there have been Aussie ex-NRL players come over who left these shores at a young age who would this season qualify for being off-quota.
The new rule is designed to classify them as an overseas player which they are IMO as is Pat Richards or Feka who currently also get in via the back door rules.
If Gleeson gets caught in this net then its just tough luck.
The concern is a club would mount a legal challenge on Gleesons behalf because if successful that would screw up this plan which is IMO a step in the right direction.
The only compromise I can think of is that the ruling does not affect players already here. This is how the removal of the rule where players came off-quota due to being here a certain period of time was handled. Originally all overseas players were going to be classified as on-quota no matter how long they had already been here but Caisley challenged it because Bradford would have been up the creak at the time.
If such a compromise were agreed to in order to cope with the Gleeson situation it would mean the effectiveness of the new rules would be delayed while such players played out their careers and could result in even more non-UK players on the books depending on how it was handled.
Dave