Force move fast to sign South Africans

[PeterM]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...outh-africans/

Western Force are set to sign three South African players as the Australian Rugby Union lifts restrictions on the number of overseas representatives the Super Rugby club can field next season.

The Force will be able to sign two international marquee players and six foreign development players who would become eligible to play for the Wallabies - an increase from one marquee and two development players.

The Melbourne Rebels will be given the same concessions.

The Force have moved quickly, with tighthead prop Chris Heiberg and centre/full-back Marcel Brache - both who have been members of Stormers' Super squads - about to sign deals.

The club is also understood to be closing in on a second-rower.

The Force asked the Stormers to release the 115kg Heiberg, 28, to play against the British and Irish Lions last month but the South Africans refused.

He was called into the Stormers squad this season and will replace former Wallabies prop Salesi Ma'afu at the Force.

Brache, 25, was in the Stormers' 2011 squad but has played most of his rugby for the Western Province. He was born in Los Angeles and moved to South Africa when he was a four-year-old, making him eligible for the US Eagles.

The South Africans are among a host of new faces who will join the Force next season, including Wallaby winger Luke Morahan and local products Dane Haylett-Petty and Zack Holmes.

The Force need to replace a number of players who have not come up to Super standard this year, but Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry will not be rushing overseas with a book of blank cheques to attract big-name players for a short-term fix.

"We're targeting bigger, stronger forwards and pace out wide," Sinderberry said.

"We need to increase our rate of progress next year. A number of key building blocks have been put in place this season.

"We have a team full of character and courage but the reality is there is a long way to go."

Sinderberry said the club would target players with specific requirements that might not be available in the Australian player market.

"We have to take advantage of the opportunity the ARU has given us of recruiting players from a wider talent pool," he said.

"We have identified players of the character that we want, players who can improve the quality of squad and quality of our play.

"An objective is to have a turnover rate of players closer to 15 per cent than 30 per cent." DID YOU KNOW? 2 The number of marquee players the Western Force will be allowed next season

[MI5_Dog]

I'm not so sure why people would be upset about this.
Seems all good to me.

[GIGS20]

no, the second marquee will help a lot.

Will the Rebels still fall under the prior arrangement of pretty much a full team of international allstars as well or will that disappear, to be replaced by a fairer system?

BTW a 28 Year old prop and a 25 year old outside back doesn't sound like a terribly long term fix.....byt the time they're eligible for the Wallabies they will be 31 and 28 respectively.....will the ARU approve the contracts?

[jargan83]

Will the Rebels still fall under the prior arrangement of pretty much a full team of international allstars as well or will that disappear, to be replaced by a fairer system?

Did you miss

The Melbourne Rebels will be given the same concessions.

[GAFFA]

my issue with this is that between the 2 players named they have a total of 1 super rugby cap.

Just like I thought and said the development spot at useless as the only player it will attract are players not up to standard in there own province to get a gig at super rugby.

It’s a half arsed measure from the ARU which will do nothing to help the development in of rugby in WA or in Australia.

[chibi]

I agree, Gaffa. And I can't see how "stealing" young South Africans is gonna help the SANZAR bloc in its constant struggle with the IRB and a lot of the pro-Europe crap we have to put up with. I'm sure its just going to cause division down here, where a united front is needed against the 6 Nations lawmakers and Euro club's money-spending interests. Bringing in more Zimbabweans, Namibians, South Americans and forging more links with Japan and Asia should be something SANZAR looks at. This measure looks like an invitation to petty in-fighting.

[BLR]

I agree, Gaffa. And I can't see how "stealing" young South Africans is gonna help the SANZAR bloc in its constant struggle with the IRB and a lot of the pro-Europe crap we have to put up with. I'm sure its just going to cause division down here, where need a united front against the 6 Nations lawmakers and Euro club's money-spending interests. Bringing in more Zimbabweans, Namibians, South Americans and forging more links with Japan and Asia should be something SANZAR looks at. This measure looks like an invitation to petty in-fighting.

Spreading talent around is always a good thing, why does it have to be from certain countries? If a player can't get a job in his own country for whatever reason should we just let him quit the sport and become a dentist instead of using his talent for us? We aren't stealing anyone, we are simply offering someone a job.

[chibi]

If it was about simply offering a job, there wouldn't be a problem, but I don't think that's necessarily the case, because if a player has the potential to become a Wallaby, then he has the potential to be a Springbok. We wouldn't like it if the South Africans made it a policy to start raiding Australian clubs and National age-group teams in order to qualify them for Springbok honours after a residency period, so why should we do it to them?

[Alison]

South Africa has a much deeper talent pool than does Australia. So not getting a super rugby cap in SA could mean they are still up there with the best that Aus has to offer. I reckon it's a good move - provided we get young talent, not mid-career talent.

[GIGS20]

Did you miss

No I didn't miss it, just having trouble believing that the Rebels, with the right to have (I think it's) 6 marquees aren't bleating incessantly about losing any chance of ever competing on the ladder!

I wonder if some shady deal will surface which enables them to have their full complement of Marquees as stipulated in the original agreement along with the six FDPs in the new agreement.....as well as a top-up sweetener to keep O'Connor there and a blind eye to ground fees payments.

Call me a cynic!

[PeterM]

Why they powers brokers at rugby WA don't get onto the representatives of JOC and offer him a 3-4 year deal and guarantee him the force 10 jersey is beyond me.

We would have an amazing back line next year with JOC in there

[jargan83]

No I didn't miss it, just having trouble believing that the Rebels, with the right to have (I think it's) 6 marquees aren't bleating incessantly about losing any chance of ever competing on the ladder!

I wonder if some shady deal will surface which enables them to have their full complement of Marquees as stipulated in the original agreement along with the six FDPs in the new agreement.....as well as a top-up sweetener to keep O'Connor there and a blind eye to ground fees payments.

Call me a cynic!

Cynic

[Gruffalo]

Again, these players can't get anywhere near a start for RSA super 15 teams so why are they good enough for us ? Below par stop gaps . The talent in Australia(and there is plenty just look at second string Tahs Reds Brumbies) needs to be spread more evenly with salary cap compo for teams without wallabies ie us.
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[James]

I don't see the Chris Heiberg signing as such as bad one. He is not supposed to be a long term fix. He is supposed to be someone who can come in and be Super Rugby level.

All things going to plan our prop stocks will be Longbottom, Faulkner, Cowan, Manu and Heiberg with Oli Hoskins in the EPS. Hoskins is the long term fix. Then Scott Tolmie. Then whoever else is next.

Does anyone know what happened to Gary Neugebauer?

[chibi]

Again, these players can't get anywhere near a start for RSA super 15 teams so why are they good enough for us ?

I agree, I can understand Tier 1 Nations losing players to Tier 2 Test Teams if they can't get a game for their home nation, but why should Australia need them?