Make a bid for Crocker?

[Hollywood Jesus]

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/nrl/news/article/-/5291391/michael-crocker-denied-uk-visa

Michael Crocker denied UK visa

AAP - January 30, 2009, 5:55 pm AAP ©

Michael Crocker has become the second high-profile NRL player to be refused a visa to play in the English Super League, fuelling speculation that Greg Bird could soon become the third.


Hull FC are considering appealing the decision by the British High Commission which also rejected an application by former Canberra bad boy Todd Carney to join Huddersfield.


Test backrower Crocker, 28, had hinted that he would consider retiring if the three-year English deal fell through.


Hull FC said no explanation had been given for the refusal.


However, both Crocker and Carney had convictions.


Crocker was arrested following a scuffle with police outside a Sydney hotel in 2005 and convicted of affray.


It is hardly music to the ears of former Cronulla star Bird who is waiting for his visa application to be processed in order to link with Bradford.


Bird, on a contract of $360,000 a year, was stood down by the Sharks after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend Katie Milligan.


He is due to face court again in Sydney on April 27 on charges of reckless wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two charges of lying to police.


But Rugby Football League executive chairman Richard Lewis was still confident Bird would play in the 2009 Super League.


"I'm relaxed about it. If it's within the rules, which it is, that's fine," he told British reporters.


"I don't have a problem with it. He wasn't banned in the NRL so he's free to play in Super League.


"I'm not aware of any problem. It's up to him and the club to process the application."


Bradford was panned by rival Leeds' chief executive Gary Hetherington for snapping up Bird, describing it as "an embarrassment to Super League".
While an appeal may be on the cards, time is running out for Crocker to join his Hull FC teammates before February 13's season opener against Wigan.


"Hull FC and Michael are reviewing the papers from the consulate in order to determine the next steps," a Hull FC statement said.


"Neither Michael nor Hull FC will make any further comment at this stage until their course of action is established.


"The visa system does provide a right of appeal and the club does not wish to compromise a potential appeal by making public comment at this stage."


Crocker had been training with former Melbourne teammates as he sweated on the visa green light.


But it is not just players with troubled pasts who are experiencing visa application problems.


A tightening of the visa regulation system has led to delays in the arrivals of many players from Down Under.


Newcomers Celtic Crusaders are the worst hit - they are still waiting for eight members of their senior squad to arrive.


Celtic kick off their inaugural Super League campaign against champions Leeds next Friday.

If it ends up that he can't go, should we see if we can maybe jig a few contracts around and come up with 100k?


I know he's a grub and all but, damn, we need some quality forwards.

 

[Stagger eel]

If it ends up that he can't go, should we see if we can maybe jig a few contracts around and come up with 100k?


I know he's a grub and all but, damn, we need some quality forwards.

that would be absolutely mouth watering if we can achieve it, problem is the best person who was able to juggle figures around the cap no longer works for us, he's too busy signing the likes of Barrett, Tupou and Matua for the organisation he works with.

 

[parra-matters]

From all reports we don't have enough left under to cap to offer anything worth while.

 

[strider]

would his heart be in it anymore? - at the level it has been with melbourne? .... it says he's considering retiring if it falls through .... he's a player who has played as hard as anyone, maybe he's feeling the results of that now

still you'd love to have some of his toughness rub off on our guys eh!

 

[parra-matters]

Yeah seemed like he was after a final year or two just for the money, but knowing the way he plays he would have gave 110% as soon as he was on the field.

 

[Gronk]

that would be absolutely mouth watering if we can achieve it, problem is the best person who was able to juggle figures around the cap no longer works for us, he's too busy signing the likes of Barrett, Tupou and Matua for the organisation he works with.

Time to let go Stagger. Zaps has gone to the darkside with Sticky.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Just find who has the longest left to run on their contracts and see if they don't mind having them fiddled in order to back-end them a bit.

I know Zaps is gone but it's really not that hard, is it?

 

[TheRam]

PF - Bring Back Zaps

 

[Stagger eel]

tbh I'm not sure whether it's easy or not but some clubs have the ability to make it happen, Peter Peters was asked on his program as to how some clubs manage to do it and his simple response was, if you want player bad enough it will happen whether it's juggling contract figures, releasing players or finding third parties to assist, operators like Shane Richardson, Zapps and Grant Meyer just seem to be able to nab their man..maybe we should ask them how they do it??

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

If you want a player badly enough - like real bad - just back-end contracts until the year after they would be gone so as to open up enough space during their period of play to be able to cover them.

So, if we could free up 100k (per year) over the next two years for Crocker, we'd be looking at having a few back-ended contracts that put pressure on our cap in 2011. This wouldn't be too bad considering you would suspect that Hindy and Caylo wouldn't be playing that year or that maybe it would be their last and so we'd be looking at a decent chunk freeing up in our player payments.

 

[Suitman]

I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Suity

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Even if back-ending contracts didn't create the amount you needed, just sign him to a 2 year full time contract at 60k a year (or whatever) and then 2 years as a part timer at 40k a year and basically don't use him.

Might not work but the point is that a little creativity goes a long way.

 

[yy_cheng]

I would take him too.

mateo, crocker, hindy, fui, caylo sounds nice.

If I was Parra, I would talk to hindy and caylo, backend their contracts and the carrot would be: Much stronger chance to win a premiership since they have very few years left in them.

And I wouldn't have a problem with his attitude at all. He will always give 110%.

 

[HevyDevy]

Yeah, you'd never have to worry about him not putting in.

Could have done with him last season I guess.

 

[Kornstar]

He is exactly what we need!!!

 

[yy_cheng]

he'll end up playing for melbourne for peanuts

 

[jk13]

i thought u could just pay certain players match payments that weren't covered under the salary cap. did't wendell do this for a little while. either way unless u offer him the world he'll probably only want to play 4 storm

 

[Ron Jeremy]

zaps is a grub, don't want him back here.

 

[bartman]

We are one backrower short it looks to me in the squad... Lowrie loosk to be the likely 12 to me, and while I think he'd go OK enough with another year under his belt, he's not the impact player that Crocker would be.

Even if it was only to get a year out of Crocker in the way HJ suggests re back ending contracts, while some of the younger guys on the books (Hauraki, Oake, blah blah) develop a bit more consistency and mongrel to being able to compete in the top grade

 

[hindmarsh4pm]

Do whatever needs to be done, just sign this bloke up. Hindy, crocker and mateo back row