With Mahe Fonua confirmed to be leaving Hull, the club has been linked with Parramatta centre John Folau but it remains highly unlikely the deal will be done.
Fonua was granted a release from the remainder of his Hull FC deal recently and the club has been on the hunt since for a replacement.
Rumours have been strong that Parramatta Eels centre John Folau, brother of superstar Israel Folau, could be the man to replace Fonua but according to the HullDailyMail.co.uk, it won't happen.
This is where the visa requirements for overseas players come in. With Folau having not played for Tonga since 2014 and not played first grade in the NRL this year, it makes it difficult for any Super League club to make a play for him.
The requirements mean that a player coming across from the NRL needs to have played either 50% of their club's games in the last two seasons or 50% of their nation's matches in the last two years.
"We will get a replacement but when and where it will happen could be dictated by other issues which are out of our control. The timescale isn't with us," said Hull coach Lee Radford.
"The players coming over here now are more likely to be coming towards the back end of their career. You are more likely to get one of them (a second tier international). Gone are the days of bringing over an Australian or New Zealand international."
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