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Wayne Smith | January 28, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html
WALLABIES mainstay Rocky Elsom has been advised by the Australian Rugby Union to check out what offers he can attract from British and European clubs.
The 32-Test blindside flanker, who is negotiating his own contract, has encountered the same implacable approach from ARU high performance unit manager Pat Howard as a number of other well-regarded Wallabies, with all players being told - often in the bluntest of terms - that salaries have to be reined in.
So tight are the purse strings that Elsom was told by Howard to investigate other options.
"He told me it might be a good idea that I have a look overseas," Elsom said yesterday.
It was not advice the rugged backrower, last year's winner of the Matt Burke Cup as the Waratahs' best player, particularly wanted to hear.
Elsom, 24, understandably believes he still has a lot to offer the Wallabies and has put a freeze on his negotiations until the ARU is a little more receptive.
"I might wait until they're in a good frame of mind, until they get a little keener to stitch the deal up," he said.
Elsom, seemingly, would not have any difficulty attracting a high-priced northern hemisphere offer, judging by the interest being shown in his Waratahs and Test backrow partner Wycliff Palu.
The starting World Cup number eight is being pursued by three of the most cashed-up and powerful clubs in Europe, Clermont-Ferrand in France, Llanelli in Wales and Eddie Jones' Saracens in England.
Although Palu, 25, is being offered a substantially improved contract - as he should be, given he was not a Test player when he negotiated his existing deal - his manager Cameron Day said the proposed ARU offer was "not even close" to what the European clubs are dangling.
"If Cliff decides to stay, it will be for reasons other than money," Day said.
The loss of key Wallabies Chris Latham and Dan Vickerman to English clubs has called into question the ARU's hard-line approach to player contracts.
While there is a general acceptance that cutbacks need to be made, the ARU appears to be economising in the wrong area.
Instead of making savings by taking a tough stance with its few world-class players, it could instead be scaling down the number of players directly receiving ARU money.
At present, around 55 players have their Super 14 contracts topped up by the national body, including a couple who almost certainly will never play for the Wallabies again.
A more realistic figure would be around 35 players, which would still leave scope to target the best young up-and-comers.
It's not just Australian players who are being pursued by British clubs. The same also applies to the country's top coaches, with Wallabies attack coach Scott Johnson being named by Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young as his preferred backs coach.
The position has become vacant following the selection of Rob Howley as Wales' backs coach. Johnson remains under contract with the ARU and still no decision has been made whether he or any other of the Wallabies assistant coaches will be asked to stay on under Robbie Deans.
Meanwhile, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is considering unleashing the full might of his squad in Friday night's trial against the Brumbies at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium.
McKenzie had intended to keep Elsom, Vickerman and Lote Tuqiri in reserve for his side's final pre-Super 14 trial against the Crusaders in Sydney on February 7 but so motivated were the senior players after watching their younger squad members defeat the Reds 26-10 at Campbelltown on Saturday that they have asked for a run against the Brumbies.
Indications are the Brumbies will hold back seven of their World Cup players until their final trial hit-out, against the Hurricanes in New Zealand, with only tighthead Guy Shepherdson likely to be thrown in against the Waratahs.
As heartening as was NSW's performance against the old enemy Queensland, particularly that of rugby debutant Timana Tahu, who scored with just his second touch of the ball, the Waratahs paid heavily for the win with halves Josh Valentine and Daniel Halangahu both injured.
Most worrying is Halangahu's apparent ankle syndesmosis which, if confirmed by scans, would see him miss up to eight weeks of football.
The Reds, meanwhile, will field virtually all of their stars against the Blues at Ballymore on Thursday, with new recruit Leroy Houston expected to start at number eight in the absence of captain John Roe, who is being given an extra week to recover from his shoulder reconstruction.
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Originally Posted by James
