Thorman is outta here.......

[Hurriflatch]

There is nothing on the Rhinos or the Eels websites. The Guardian article seems pretty definite so I assume it is happening but I haven't been able to confirm elsewhere yet. Anybody else seen this rumour anywhere apart from the Guardian?

Why would it be on the Rhinos (Leeds) website when Thorman has signed with the Huddersfield Giants???????


The SMH is also running a piece on it

Meanwhile, Parramatta half Chris Thorman is ready to head back to England next season.

Thorman, who joined the Eels from London this season, is set to join Huddersfield after next year.

The 23-year-old has played six first grade games.

 

[Hurriflatch]

Thorman might be playing because I know that import players need to play X number of games to be able ot go over the England. I'm not sure if English players coming home are under the same conditions.

 

[bartman]

Grumble:

Here's a Sky Sports UK article:
http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,10-1145154,00.html
- mentions Thorman wasn't offered a contract with Parra for 05.

And a less intersting acticle here:
http://www.totalrl.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?newsid1091017629,77580,

 

[parra-matters]

Smells like something is going on. Vaealiki, Thorman, Stapleton, Armit, trying to get rid of Dykes. Did they not do their sums when signing Tahu, Riddell etc?

Now Witt or Tim Smith must play out the season in the halves then Thorman can play PL. If Thorman starts this weekend then Smith should have Fitzy's boot right up his arse.

 

[fish eel]

Thorman might be playing because I know that import players need to play X number of games to be able ot go over the England. I'm not sure if English players coming home are under the same conditions

No.

The quota is to get a working visa, in the same way that non eu players have to play a quota of international games to get a gig in the premier league.

Thormans a pom, so he dont need a visa.

 

[bartman]

I think there's a quota of five "overseas" players (except for London with 8?), and for some reason Samoans aren't counted :-k

I'll try and find the specific wording and get back here....

 

[grumble]

Hurriflatch - my mistake. I actually checked out the Giants website but then wrote Rhinos. The Thorman story is now up on the giants website (www.giantsrl.com).

Thanks Bartman.

 

[bartman]

Seems the ESL overseas player quota will be down to 3 per team for next season: as stated here. London is already given special dispensation to exceed this quota, and the new 2006 French club is expecting the same.

The "Kolpak ruling" (in a european court case) seems to exempt Samoan born players (and some others) from this overseas player quota, owing to European employment law? This is explained below...

http://www.odeauk.fsnet.co.uk/news.htm[/url]]Kolpak was a handball player in the German League but was released because of a quota on non EU players in the league. He took the matter to the European Court of Justice and won. The court found that once a non EU national had obtained a work permit to ply his trade he could not be restricted by quotas in any way. The Kolpak ruling means that workers from around 100 countries with trade agreements with the EU are now protected by European employment law. These countries include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Leading Sports lawyer Stephen Hornsby told the Sunday herald newspaper " The implications are particularly important for rugby league and cricket, because we are talking about players from the likes of S Africa, the South Seas and the Caribbean. There is nothing stopping a club employing as many South Sea islanders as they want providing they have work permits.." The situation is further complicated by changes to rules governing working holiday maker visas. Previously they couldn't participate in professional sport but now that block has been removed.

So yeah :roll: , the quota only affects non-European (and therefore non-British)passport holders, and only those from countries without a trade agreement on employment with Europe. That is, Australians who can't get their working visas... :lol:

 

[Hurriflatch]

OK, and VAealiki holds a Samoan Passport so he actually doesn't get counted. I remember reading in one of the stories of his signing with Wigan.

 

[Evil Homer]

It basically means most clubs have about 8 aussies instead of 4...

 

[ponner]

Well we're happy that he's coming home.He should have stayed with us in the first place but hopefully he'll come back a better player.