ARU entices former Wallabies utility Daniel Heenan to return from Japan

Wallabies



http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/i...7667994,00.jpg Blast from past ... Heenan in his Wallabies days. Cameron Spencer/Getty

ARU entices former Wallabies utility Daniel Heenan to return from Japan

By Wayne Smith
March 30, 2010
Former Wallabies utility forward Daniel Heenan almost certainly will be offered an Australian Rugby Union top-up to entice him to return to Australia from Japan next year.
Heenan, the former Queensland Reds and Brumbies blindside flanker and second-rower, has spent the past three years playing for Sanyo in Japan after a cruel series of injuries restricted his Wallabies career to just two Tests in 2006.
The 28-year-old's contract with Sanyo ends next February which means he might miss one or two Super 15 matches next season, depending on whether his side figure in the Japanese finals as they did this year.
But after that, he is determined to return to Australia to bid for a place in his first World Cup squad.
"I wouldn't be coming home if I didn't think I could make the World Cup team," Heenan said.

"I haven't received any offers yet. I'm mainly waiting to see if it is possible, from an ARU perspective."
But an ARU spokesman said that as long as Heenan was out of contract with an overseas club, he would be free to play with any Australian franchise.
Indeed, such is the dearth of second-rowers in Australia at present, with Dan Vickerman at long odds to figure in the World Cup because of his ongoing studies at Cambridge and James Horwill out for the season following a knee reconstruction, Heenan almost certainly will be offered an ARU top-up.


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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html

I wonder where he'll go. Probably Melbourne I suppose.

I would have thought the Reds, if Braid is not allowed to renew.

Yeah its where he started out but he's a lock/6/8 and what the Reds really need is a 7 if Braid isn't allowed to stay. The ARU would be crazy not to let Braid stay though.

I think Braid has confirmed he will be leaving at seasons end, hence why the QRU havent persued the possibility of signing him on for longer, but your right James, Braid is a 7 and Heenan is more a lock/blindside flanker

Hypothetically speaking, would Braid be available to sign for another Aus franchise post 2010?

yes, cant remember what the rules were exactly but i remember reading in a article that the Rebels or any other Aus S14 province would be allowed to recruit him.

I think the rule must be that a marquee player cant remain at a single province for more then 2 years, i actually think its a unecessary rule now with the inclusion of the Rebels. It was initally implemented to ensure that a foreign player wasnt preventing a Australian player from rising through the ranks, however with the demand for players from the new team this is unlikely to happen.


Gettin back to the topic of Heenan, whilst i think he would be a handy addition to depth in Australia, you have to wonder whether he is ready to step back up to the challenge.

He fancies he's a shot for the RWC team? He must be something special, if he's about to fight his way through the many talented buds currently IN our teams.

I have absolutely no recollection of him - What's he like?

He was a good player being kept at bay by the likes of Elsom and Lyons.

He'll be viewed as a lock. Where Mark Chisholm is in awful form and James Horwill being seriously injured leaving only Dean Mumm and Nathan Sharpe as second row options.

When he wasn't injured I thought Heenan was an awesome player. I think his last test was against England where he was playing at 8 and Elsom at 6. I'm not sure he'll be able to bring the fire back after 4 seasons in Japan though.

he was definetly a very talented player, he was just hit with the injury curse, i dont think he ever went through a season without missing a few matches. He is of the hugh mcmenimen mould