Foreign stars could play for Force next year

[AndyS]

The question in my mind is just who we would be looking at. If Mealamu were interested in travelling, why Perth and not Ireland? Will we only get players that can't earn more, or aren't of any interest to, the big money in Europe? I'd hate to see us being the last resort of the chronically injury prone or young kids looking for a payday, only to find out that the grounds are harder and the travel so much more wearing in the S14 than in European and they are a long way from their mum.

[Thequeerone]

tight heads and loose heads and a new hooker - Tai will retire next year - no prob importing talent and using it to develop younger players.

A bit of Saffa mongrel on the pitch could be useful.

Dave Hughes article today was brilliant - the future of the competition is that we will have 3 leagues of players doing home and away - the finalists of each leg playing finals - min 9 games each.

[gustafsl]

The question in my mind is just who we would be looking at. If Mealamu were interested in travelling, why Perth and not Ireland? Will we only get players that can't earn more, or aren't of any interest to, the big money in Europe? I'd hate to see us being the last resort of the chronically injury prone or young kids looking for a payday, only to find out that the grounds are harder and the travel so much more wearing in the S14 than in European and they are a long way from their mum.

Good question. My guess is that the pool of players that want to come here and also that the teams want to bring in would be small. You make a good point, if someone like Mealamu is interested in leaving NZ why would he come here instead of the big pay day in Europe. As the rule is right now for international selection I could see teams in Australia being interested in a couple different types of players:

1) Older players that could teach a thing or two to the younger guys. Maybe the player isn't good enough for the big pay day in Europe. And they aren't ready to give up the game to become a coach yet. They may come to a team in Australia knowing they will get a bit of game time and also they could mentor the younger players.

2) Players that are an upgrade over what we have here but can't get a game in their own country. Theoretically the 6th best scrum half in NZ wouldn't get a starting spot and probably wouldn't be good enough for the All Blacks. But maybe he is better than the 4th best scrum half in Australia. So he might sign here and know he is going to get some solid game time.

What it may come down to is what happens with Australia and New Zealand selecting their international players. Right now they won't pick anyone playing on foreign soil. But I could see a likely change to say that they will pick players from any Super 14 team. What this would do is open up the whole comp and then basically we'd see players going all over the place.

[AndyS]

How very AFL. Still, given that payment caps won't apply and team "friends" should get free rein, Gits outside Carter on one team, Tuqiri and Habana on the wings of the other. The Reds and Brumbies can try to drum up the money for Butch James and Scott Hamilton.

[welshrugbyfan]

I don't want no dirty South Africans playing for the Force, I would even accept a Pom player over a Saffa and I hate Pom rugby players.

Pocock is from Zimbabwe (close enough to South Africa)
Shepherd was born in England (so he is a pom and a rugby player)

So maybe you can tell these boys this when you see them next.

[slomo]

we could of signed steven moore for 3 years, at the end of last season, and that would of sorted the hooker out for the next few years, no need to look overseas the talent pool is here, all ARU contracted players have to play in australia...........

[James]

How very AFL. Still, given that payment caps won't apply and team "friends" should get free rein, Gits outside Carter on one team, Tuqiri and Habana on the wings of the other. The Reds and Brumbies can try to drum up the money for Butch James and Scott Hamilton.

But who really wants Butch James? Seriously?

Its all well and good to open up the borders but between S14 team traffic would be low I'd wager. I think the big hot spots are South Africans, Argentinians and Georgians (truth be told I'd love a Georgian or two in the Force) because they are big aggressive and great at scrummaging. I'm with TQ1 on this one.

Oddly enough I had a dream, prophetic maybe, that a Japanese rugby star was going to join the Force. Somehow I don't think thats going to happen.

[Scotty]

Oddly enough I had a dream, prophetic maybe, that a Japanese rugby star was going to join the Force.

F#$%, I hope its not Eddie Jones.

[JediKnight]

By allowing foreign players to play for Australian Super 14 teams, then it means less Australian players will have Super14 experience and therefore there will be less players for the Wallabies Coach to select from.

Why would the ARU want to jeopardise the number of players the Wallabies Coach can select from?!

[laura]

Oddly enough I had a dream, prophetic maybe, that a Japanese rugby star was going to join the Force.

F#$%, I hope its not Eddie Jones.

Thankfully Tamaiti Horua has recently come from Japan!!

I think what this will do is help out in positions where Australia is short on talent. And it would be of great benefit to a team like the Force..........The bigger the talent pool we have to pick from can only help us overcome this disadvantage to the eastern teams.

I don't have a prob bringing in people/ex-players to help coach and impart their knowledge on our players, but I just cant wrap my head around cheering on a former Springbok/All Black etc. I just cant cheer for someone who I have lost respect for...and I have lost respect for a fair few of the Springboks over the years, so cheering them on in my team's coulours would feel like I was contradicting myself. But thats just me, I will happily cheer on the rest of the team

They can coach all they like though, what better way to beat the South Africans or Kiwis than being coached by them and learning their technique (except eye-gouging and clotheslines and spear tackles and dropping the shoulder...)

[James]

By allowing foreign players to play for Australian Super 14 teams, then it means less Australian players will have Super14 experience and therefore there will be less players for the Wallabies Coach to select from.

Why would the ARU want to jeopardise the number of players the Wallabies Coach can select from?!

In the case of the South Africans and Georgians its more a case of recruiting 20 or 21 year olds who would end up qualifying for the Wallabies on residency basis after 3 years I think.

Otherwise it could be good to bring in some really talented props to improve the standard of the competition here. Why do all the good props always come from the same kind of places? Tough competition. If the benchmark is Matt Dunning and Al Baxter there really isn't much to strive for.

[AndyS]

But who really wants Butch James? Seriously?

No-one much, but they will have who they can afford. That is my point - way to unlevel the field!

In the case of the South Africans and Georgians its more a case of recruiting 20 or 21 year olds who would end up qualifying for the Wallabies on residency basis after 3 years I think.

It will certainly streamline the process. That is why I am surprised the players union is for it...it would have to be cheaper to buy Georgians than develop players.

[Cowboy]

Currently we don't have anyone in the front row who is truely world class ie a certain starter for the wallabies or any other national side if in theory the force were located somewhere else. I believe that one of the best and fastest ways to reach a world class standard if you have the potential to, is to be regularly competing against players of world standard or better still to be playing and training alongside them. We do need to be careful that we don't neglect the development of local talent, but if we find the right players it could help our local development and help us win a couple more games.
Recruiting youngsters may not work if our problems up front are technical skill. They still will need development which is our current weakness.

[oxleymoron]

imagine bam bam and burger beside the srums

No point with burger, why would we want to play with 14 men for 10 minutes of every game?

[Scotty]

Eddie says a halfback for the Force:

Queensland should approach Schalk Burger as import | The Courier-Mail

Hadn't thought of that. Any Saffaphiles care to comment on Fourie du Preez at the Force?