Have you read his article in today's OZ? Isn't it great to read some sense from a Sydney rugby reporter. I congratulate him on an honest, dispassionate article. I would be proud to have him as an honorary West Australian:approve: :approve:
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Have you read his article in today's OZ? Isn't it great to read some sense from a Sydney rugby reporter. I congratulate him on an honest, dispassionate article. I would be proud to have him as an honorary West Australian:approve: :approve:
Where is the article??? What about????
Assume he meant this one FR:
Force ices idea of Giteau going
Wayne Smith | August 24, 2007
WESTERN FORCE officials are bewildered by speculation about Matt Giteau's possible departure from the club and alarmed that links are being drawn between the centre's future and the crunch meeting next week with the Australian Rugby Union.
Force chief executive Peter O'Meara and chairman Geoff Stooke have been summoned to Sydney next Thursday to explain to ARU counterparts John O'Neill and Peter McGrath their apparent breaches of contracting protocols.
In particular, O'Meara faces some tough questioning over his admission to The Weekend Australian last week that he had underwritten a shortfall in captain Nathan Sharpe's third-party deal with a Perth sponsor, in contravention of ARU policies.
But separate Sydney press reports have raised suspicions in Perth that any penalties that might arise from the meeting with the ARU - which already has telegraphed it will refer the contracting issue to an independent tribunal if it believes the Force has a case to answer - could entail losing Giteau's services.
One report suggested the possibility of Giteau leaving the Force and returning to the Brumbies was expected to be discussed at Thursday's meeting. Another indicated Giteau would consider quitting the club if his massive endorsement deal to play in Perth fell away before the end of his three-year contract.
One thing is certain - there is no way O'Meara or Stooke will be raising the subject of Giteau going back to the Brumbies.
There is also considerable confusion over how even the total collapse of Giteau's lucrative third-party endorsement package would allow him to quit the Force before the end of his contract.
If Giteau's sponsors, among them the embattled Firepower, renege on their deals with him, the way would be open for him to pursue his legal options.
But under ARU rules, any third-party deals must be at arm's length from the contract the player signs with his Super 14 club. Only if there was a clause stating that if one contract fell over then the entire deal collapsed could Giteau possibly walk away.
ARU high performance manager Pat Howard said yesterday such a clause would not have been sanctioned by the ARU.
Asked if the ARU had any concerns over the legitimacy of Giteau's contract, Howard replied: "No."
Certainly there is nothing to stop Giteau returning to Canberra once his Force contract expires, which is what Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan hopes will happen.
"But we are still 18 months away from having those negotiations with Matt," Fagan said.
Giteau attempted to hose down speculation yesterday at Sydney airport before flying off on the World Cup campaign.
Asked whether he might return to the Brumbies in the long term, he replied: "I'm not too sure. I've got two more years with the Western Force. I've signed for three years and I intend to fulfil those obligations."
Like the Oz to - but no ARC reporting - just the results and teams in the results section
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, the plot thickens....