Rocky Elsom and ARU haggling over deal
Iain Payten Rocky Elsom and ARU haggling over deal | The Daily Telegraph
May 16, 2008 12:00am

WALLABIES coach Robbie Deans has spent "several hours" trying to persuade Rocky Elsom to shun a lucrative stint in Ireland and stay in Australia.

The revelation came as it emerged SANZAR partners have so far been unable to agree which ELVs to use in the upcoming Tri-Nations.

Elsom's long-running contract negotiations appear to be coming to a head, with reports suggesting the flanker is set to join Leinster under Michael Cheika.

O'Neill said Elsom wants a two-year deal, while the ARU wants him to sign through to the 2011 World Cup. Deans has spoken to the 25-year-old at length, he added.

"It's not a money issue, for his own purposes he wants out in 2010," O'Neill said.

"While we are willing to consider it, it's sub-optimal from an ARU position.

"He's under no illusions from administrators and the coach that we want him for three years."

While on contracts, O'Neill also refuted suggestions out of NSW Rugby last week that Dan Vickerman's loss for 2009 was because he was "undervalued" by the ARU.

"That's not the case. I had personal discussions with Dan Vickerman, it was not money," he said.

The Tri-Nations' format is yet to be nailed down with no consensus reached on the use of ELVs. It's believed Australia and South Africa are keen to keep using the Super 14 ELVs, but New Zealand are not.

With coach Graham Henry having not coached under the rules, the NZRU are keen to use only the IRB global rules - which don't include the all-important "sanctions variation".

O'Neill said the negotiations were "continuing" but didn't miss a snipe at the northern rugby nations at a sports luncheon yesterday.

Asked about the recent IRB vote on the ELVs O'Neill said: "The northern hemisphere basically don't think there's anything wrong with the game," O'Neill said.

"We are not talking the same language. They are living in a fool's paradise. Anyone who watched the last three games in the World Cup, the semis and the final, they were shocking games. Terrible games."