Mat - As a first time poster I'm nervous of saying this but anyone who is on the list of quota players will automatically be on the list of Non Fed trained players won't they?(like Kearney & L'Estrange) So to simplify things for us all can't we say that we are allowed 5 Non Fed trained players regardless of whether they are also on the overseas quota as well. Effectively we are allowed 5 players who have not come through a Super League team's academy (barring exemptions such as Jefries & Royston)

Not really thought to much about that.......

Isn't Richards an Irish international?

I think your last sentence answers your own question Peregrine. I'd suggest others might be players from countries where there is no professional rugby, like the south sea islands, like Tonga or Samoa and similar, where the players concerned didn't originally train in Aus/NZ, or possibly European countries other than France, though in terms of SL, due to a French club being in the league, I think they would probably be regarded as fed trained.

Link to RFL website explaining Quota:
[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/20745[/url

Link to Bulls squadlist thread explaining quota status
[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=19&t=473865&p=15598740#p15598740[/url


Connor Murphy tweeted that BJ is off definately off quota for next year due to British passport being acquired.

Sammut was not initally trained in UK or France, so will count as Quota unless RFL decide to include him in Crusaders exemption - Hood is seeking clarification, and I'm sure result either way will be announced soon.

Probably the same way as we do, because they have some overseas trained players now classified as federation trained.

thats not a bad way of looking at it. Theres two excpetions to that rule though.

first there's australian/new zealand born players who come over here young enough to be classed as uk fed trained (think harrison hansen, maybe robbie paul? etc). These are pretty rare.

secondly theres all the australian/new zealand born players who were playing in SL when the non-fed trained rules were brought in (feb 2008 from memory). These players were all granted exemptions to the non fed status and are classed as fed trained as long as they stay in superleague. This covers players like glenn morrison, ali lauititi etc. This category of player is pretty common at the moment but should reduce as players retire. Once their all gone then your way of explaining the quota will pretty much be accurate.

The source of all the confusion is that when the RFL changed the quota rules to include the non-fed trained status they said that clubs were allowed 5 Overseas quota players and 5 non-fed trained quota players. What they didnt make clear was that players could count on both quotas simultaneously. Hence people tend to think that clubs are allowed 5 Overseas AND 5 non fed players.

The confusion should settle down in 2 or 3 years as most of the players granted exemptions should have retired by then. The extra exemptions granted to crusaders players should extend this much as they only count for their first contract signed after leaving crusaders. So unless someone givesa crusaders quota player a very long contract they should be out of system around same time.

Typical confusing mess we've come to expect from RFL really.