You're correct that it won't matter, but that's the whole point. The house laws are no longer applicable, even if it did. Grand Duke/Tsar Mikhail turned all legal authority over to the provisional government when he was recognized as the new head of the imperial dynasty in 1917.
GD Mikhail specifically turned authority over to the constitutional government without ever abdicating (whether or not it was legal for Nicholas II to pass over his son is a whole other debate). In his statements afterwards, Kirill's statements and claim to the throne came after Mikhail was declared legally dead, acknowledging that he was the legal emporer after Nicholas abdicated. whereas Nicholas and Alexei were never declared legally deceased, or at least until 1991, as far as I know. In his first statement to the public, Kirill also supported the choice of the Duma.
There is also evidence that Nicholas, in fact, did change the laws to surpass the Kirillovich line altogether, according to the memoirs of Alexander Spiridovitch, the Chief of Secret Security Police to the Emperor. These documents are apparently still stowed away in the Russian archives, and I would be willing to wager that if the opportunity arose, then they would be located. Rob Moshein is more familiar with this case than myself.
What I am saying is that Rostislav is likely the best candidate to appease all sides were it to happen. He lives in Russia, speaks the language, has business experience, and doesn't descend from a family line that has ticked off a majority of people, nor offended anyone the way that the Kirillovich line has done. The current claimant has behaved as though she were entitled to the throne, which is not the case. She is a private citizen, and with arguably the Orthodox Church, holds no recognition of such inside the state of Russia. Her supporters always claim that she meets with Putin, but so what! So do the other Romanovs, such as Nicholas Romanovich and his brother. They just don't announce it to the world every time they are acknowledged, and don't request special treatment. That's an endearing trait to a lot of people, though they are way too old to become monarchs now, and both would readily admit it.
Maria does have the strongest claim in regards to Pauline laws, but only through her marriage, which in this day and age, would likely be irrelevant and seen for what they are, especially when they were aware of all that has not been publicized, but is common knowledge for anyone who researches the subject. There are some definite red flags in her lineage, which weren't addressable at the time because those lawmakers couldn't see into the future, predict the fall of the dynasty, or World Wars I and II. The other Romanov branches have been on the right side of history throughout the 20th century, while Maria's and more explicitly George's, have not. Maria supporters should open their eyes to this. It would be a PR disaster.
.
