Mitchell may follow Giteau

[mudskipper]

Mitchell may follow Giteau
BY JIM MORTON AND JUSTIN CHADWICK
24/02/2009 1:00:00 AM

Wallabies flyer Drew Mitchell is poised to follow Matt Giteau out the Western Force's door into the ACT Brumbies ranks.
As the ARU considers how to help prevent the fledgling WA team falling apart, Mitchell and fellow hot property James O'Connor admitted Giteau's departure significantly affected their future plans.

Queensland-product Mitchell was understood to have been seriously considering a move back east before Giteau at the weekend announced his return to the Brumbies next season.

Like Giteau, the 29-Test speedster had lost money owing to him through a third-party deal from former Force backer Firepower and has not been remunerated.

All three Australian Super 14 rivals are keen to snap up Mitchell with the Brumbies the early favourites due to his friendship and the lure of continuing to play with Giteau.

But the Reds, who are playing a far more attractive and attacking game to when Mitchell left in 2006, are also in the running, and can offer him his preferred fullback position.

NSW is also interested in Mitchell, and have a possible opening at No15 despite Sam Norton-Knight's solid form, but the Waratahs are believed to be the strongest contender for young gun O'Connor.

Mitchell yesterday praised Giteau for the way he handled his lengthy contract negotiations and indicated he would follow his lead.

''Obviously I'm pretty close to Matt and I've been speaking to him for a while,'' he said.

''Knowing his situation I completely understand it and I wouldn't have done anything different to what he did.

''It was an unfortunate situation Matt got in and I certainly commend the way he handled himself.''

Mitchell admitted joining Giteau in Canberra in 2010 was ''an option worth looking at''.

''A big part of my reasoning in coming over here was to play with Matt Giteau,'' he said. ''It's going to weigh quite heavily on my considerations as to what team I'll play with next year.

''For me, my next contract will take me to another World Cup campaign [in 2011] and I want to make sure that I give myself every opportunity to be in the reckoning for selection''

Mitchell said he aimed to make a quick decision after weighing up the direction and program of prospective suitors but denied playing fullback over wing would be a major factor.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said yesterday Mitchell's manager had approached the club a few months ago about a possible switch.

He said Mitchell would recognise that with Giteau at flyhalf, the Brumbies would boast an almost peerless backline next season.

''The fact his good mate is coming back, and that he'll be surrounded by other key Wallabies in Stirling Mortlock and Adam Ashley-Cooper in our team, with him here it would be a pretty damaging back line, probably the best in the country and one of the best in the world.''

The Reds, who are also circling Queensland-bred Wallabies No8 Richard Brown, see a place for Mitchell at No15, a jersey that the Brumbies would be less likely to offer due to the continued good form of Mark Gerrard.

Contract concessions have also been mooted as a way to aid the Force keeping a competitive Super 14 team in the AFL-mad state, but the ARU is in no hurry to make any changes. AAP


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...px?storypage=0

[blueandblack]

lern2spel

"Mitchell"

[jargan83]

if he is that desperate to follow Gits I say let him, I agree with people who say the Franchise shouldn't be held hostage

[slomo]

mitchells manager approached the club !!!!!! good bye drew ...... Too much bro-mance going around nowadays.........!
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[JediKnight]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.............if you want to play with Giteau just play well enough to ensure selection to the Wallabies (assuming that Gits continues to be their golden boy.....although he'll be a bit worried about Quade's form at the moment!).

[slomo]

cooper has had a strong start to the season......
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[blueandblack]

cooper has had a strong start to the season......
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He needs to make up his mind earlier in the phases though (based on the last game). If not every time, then just about every time he picked up the ball, his head was going left and right and back again apparently wondering who he needs to give the ball to. He needs to much improve (or start learning to) anticipate and plan, much like Gits seems to do. Positional awareness. Visualise the layout of the players.

[waratahjesus]

am i the only one that doesnt rate gits as a ten at all!
he is solid, but he can make horrible decisions, he gets caught witht he ball in hand alot, he only makes inroads when he drifts towards his old 12 slot and when he backs himself its usually after he has crowded his centres by drifting across field.

he is a twelve, and a fantastic one, i dont think he runs a backline anywere near a world class 5/8 though.

[jargan83]

am i the only one that doesnt rate gits as a ten at all!
he is solid, but he can make horrible decisions, he gets caught witht he ball in hand alot, he only makes inroads when he drifts towards his old 12 slot and when he backs himself its usually after he has crowded his centres by drifting across field.

he is a twelve, and a fantastic one, i dont think he runs a backline anywere near a world class 5/8 though.

nope

and when he did come here initially, he was playing 12 outside Hilgendorf I'm pretty sure

[AndyS]

As much as I wanted to see him there and still think he has enormous potential, I agree that he still has much improvement required. Personally I worry more about his propensity to kick possession away, although I am hoping that the ridiculous amount of possession handed over last weekend whilst in attack(!) was a one-off attempt to get behind the Cheetahs defensive lines. His tactical kicking is a bit variable too, although excellent when it is on. But while he sometimes seems a bit indecisive, I do wonder whether he is being presented with as many options as he might like.

[waratahjesus]

what is wrong witht he coaches in this country then!
it muct be a new zealand thing, they have the worlds best 10 and they move him to 12, we have the worlds best 12 and we move him to 10!
crazy!

[travelling_gerry]

lern2spel

"Mitchell"

Heaven help me if I was to actually edit something of mudflappers.....

[AndyS]

For mine though, 12 is useless if a) 10 can't get it too him, or b) 10 always throws it to him. He is 10 because he presents the biggest, and least predictable, threat there. If someone ever gets around to being a viable alternative, he may go back to 12.

[mudskipper]

Heaven help me if I was to actually edit something of mudflappers.....

Have some respect.... just don't edit to change the meaning of want is said gerry as you've done in the past...

[jargan83]

Have some respect.... just don't edit to change the meaning of want is said gerry as you've done in the past...

TG doesn't need to edit you that much. Alot of your opinions you express are highly amusing on their own without the need of editing