Brumbies chasing Shepherd

[TOCC]

i cant find the artcle on the internet, i read it on my 3 mobile phone, its apparently a Australian Article.

Anyway, it basically said the Brumbies are going to chase Shepherd in a attempt to replace Huxley.

[TOCC]

found it

Brumbies lodge interest in Shepherd

THE Brumbies are targeting Western Force full-back Cameron Shepherd as the replacement for Julian Huxley, whose contract they will honour regardless of whether he can play again after surgery to remove a brain tumour.

It was less than a month ago that Huxley, spurning the well-travelled road of seeking offers from European clubs in order to force a dutch auction, told the Brumbies he was happy to keep playing with them and signed through to the end of 2010.

It seemed a win-win deal for both parties, until the following week when Huxley went into convulsions on the field against the Reds after attempting a tackle on James Horwill, prompting an MRI scan that detected the tumour.

He will undergo surgery next month in an attempt to remove the tumour but already he has resigned himself to never playing rugby again.

ACT Rugby Union chief executive Andrew Fagan said he had reassured Huxley that both the Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union would honour his contract, although he said he is still hoping the Australia full-back will be able to earn it in instalments on the field, rather than by being paid out in full.

"There's still faint hope," Fagan said. "You never know what might come out of the surgery. The doctors could give him the all clear to resume playing. We're resigned to the fact that he won't play again but we don't want to have that conversation yet. There's no rush."

There is a rush, however, if the Brumbies hope to secure Shepherd as his replacement. Force chief executive Mitch Hardy confirmed the Brumbies have lodged an interest in the six-Test winger-full-back but said the Perth-based club is confident of retaining him.

"Hopefully, Cameron will decide on his rugby future in the next couple of weeks," Hardy said.

The Force is hoping to announce the retention of young playmaker Scott Daruda and prop Troy Takiari on their return from the team's New Zealand tour next week, with another front-rower, AJ Whalley, also high on the retention list.

And while Queensland is exploring every avenue of recapturing Brisbane-raised flanker David Pocock, he too is expected to remain in Perth after the ARU confirmed his name has been added to its contract top-up list.

If Pocock does drop off the Reds' radar, Queensland interest will lock on to Julian Salvi who again found himself relegated to the Brumbies bench for their match against the Cheetahs at Canberra Stadium. The Reds' expected offer of a starting position will appeal to Salvi.

Salvi has done everything possible in his appearances off the bench to grab a spot in the run-on backrow, only to yet again lose out to Mitch Chapman at blindside flanker.

Coach Laurie Fisher hinted that Salvi would find himself in the starting line-up for the Brumbies' next match against the Chiefs but, against a Cheetahs outfit featuring eight changes to the second-string team that seemingly was sacrificed to the Crusaders last weekend, Chapman's aerial skills could be at a premium.

"A lot of the Cheetahs' play is based on a quality mauling game and a good lineout," Fisher said. "It could be dangerous to go in against them undermanned in the lineout."

Canberra-born second-rower Peter Kimlin has been selected for his run-on debut after earning eight caps off the bench in one of three changes to the side outmuscled by the Hurricanes last weekend.

The other changes see Josh Holmes take over from Patrick Phibbs at halfback and Huia Edmonds relieving Saia Faingaa (strained hamstring) at hooker.

Brumbies lodge interest in Shepherd - Rugby - Fox Sports

[blueandblack]

Brumbies lodge interest in Shepherd - Rugby - Fox Sports

[laura]

FFS leave our players alone! I know they are good but that is why we have them at the Force! Pocock, Giteau, Shephed...seriously Eastern States get your own players these boys are ours!
For all the crap that they have been given lately from the Eastern States...now you want them find your own talented players

[BLR]

Shepherd is one of the players I don't doubt will re-sign, first, what has he got to gain? Secondly he seems to be having a pretty good time in Perth...

Despite all the talk by the Eastern States they haven't got any of our players yet...

[TOCC]

FFS leave our players alone! I know they are good but that is why we have them at the Force! Pocock, Giteau, Shephed...seriously Eastern States get your own players these boys are ours!
For all the crap that they have been given lately from the Eastern States...now you want them find your own talented players

ahh dont want to point out the obvious, but werent most of the players in the Force at other aus S14 teams before they went to the Force.

[BLR]

ahh dont want to point out the obvious, but werent most of the players in the Force at other aus S14 teams before they went to the Force.

Most of them were bench players at thier other teams....we gave them the opportunity to get game time.

[MI5_Dog]

This is great news! It shows what a powerhouse the has become that everyone is looking to poach our players.

Kudos to the coaching team!

[Greydemon]

Despite all the talk by the Eastern States they haven't got any of our players yet...[/QUOTE]


Digby?

.

[BLR]

Despite all the talk by the Eastern States they haven't got any of our players yet...

Digby?

I mean this year....Digby, by the way he handled the contracting procedures wasn't really a player we would want anyway...the other players, hopefully learnt from his mistake and keep it all above board...

[gustafsl]

ahh dont want to point out the obvious, but werent most of the players in the Force at other aus S14 teams before they went to the Force.

It's a bit different when we were putting together the team for the first couple years. Would you have preferred the Force lose every game for the first five years while they wait for some talent, that wasn't already with another Super 14 team, to develop?

If we are still pinching starting players in 3 years time then we can't complain about other teams getting our players.

[laura]

Most of them were bench players at thier other teams....we gave them the opportunity to get game time.

We are still a developing team and fair enough we poached their players but without players you cant have a team! We needed their players to start our team off and the Force have given those bench players the opportunity to play and develop, as well as training up some youngsters.

[shasta]

Just gave you a "thanks" TOCC. You deserve to have them outnumber the groans for persistence here if nothing else.

It doesn't matter if they were bench players or juniors or whether John Mitchell and his staff have developed them. Other franchises here & in Europe are going to want them at times. It's up to the Force to demonstrate that they will be better off staying. I don't see too many problems there.

The Force will still be looking to the east for players for some time yet. So far we've only got 3 players on the roster from local club rugby and only one of those has S14 game time. It's likely we'll be living in a glass house for a while............

[KenyaQuin]

I say alls fair in an open market. Teams have a right to approach off-contract players..weren't we looking at possibly getting Rocky?

Also, what we need to remember too is that alot of out-of-state players characteristically harbour a desire to play for their childhood team which usually is their home team. This and homesickness will always be a weakness to be exploited by others and will present as challenges that the Force will undoubtably face for years to come, we'd better get used to this.

In any case, we can't hold on to these players forever and I'm sure the Coach and the Force are now in a position to attract and/or develop other quality players to take their place.

[GIGS20]

FFS leave our players alone! I know they are good but that is because we have them at the Force! Pocock, Giteau, Shephed...seriously Eastern States get your own players these boys are ours!
For all the crap that they have been given lately from the Eastern States...now you want them find your own talented players

One small edit Lura!