Wallabies star Berrick Barnes weighs up whether to re-sign with Queensland
By Bret Harris
June 30, 2009 Wallabies inside-centre Berrick Barnes has urged Queensland Reds to act "quick smart" in filling key coach and management positions as he weighs up whether to re-sign with the struggling Super 14 team.
Barnes has indicated a strong desire to stay with the Reds, but he also wants some assurances that the organisation is moving forward.
Forward coach Mark Bell and team manager Brendan Morris have been let go, while high performance manager Ben Whitaker resigned in protest.
"I want to see what's going on in terms of coaching," said Barnes, who has returned to Brisbane after the Wallabies' 22-6 win against France in Sydney on Saturday night. "There are still a lot of decisions to be made there. There has to be some action quick smart there. I'd obviously like to see some movement there and pretty quickly.
"I don't really want to leave Queensland, that's for sure. I'm pretty loyal. I love the place. My family is there too ... But I want to know next year I won't be pulling my hair out and I want to see us moving forward.
"The players who have been there through the tough times, we definitely want to be there to reap the rewards.
"I want something we believe in. Obviously, in the direction they are going and what (coach) Phil (Mooney) wants. We just want to be able to believe wholeheartedly in it and be able to make a push for it next year."
Barnes said the key issue for the Reds was the retention and recruitment of players.
"It's something that has been lacking for five or six years, when our crop of great players left the organisation," he said.
Barnes, who has been linked with the Brumbies, said a move was unlikely. "I don't think so at this stage," Barnes said. "They are Real Madrid down there. They've got a great set-up and a good boss in Fages (CEO Andrew Fagan) running the joint. They are going to be definite title contenders next year.
"It's important I look at Queensland first and get to where we want to be."
There is also speculation that French clubs are interested in Barnes, which is a move he would be interested in making later in his career.
"There is always going to be talk overseas around contract time," Barnes said.
"That will definitely be an option for me one day. I do love France.
"Whether that's now, I don't think so. I'm enjoying the environment I'm in at the moment. It's the most fun I've had playing rugby for a long time. It's nice to be in a winning dressing shed on the odd occasion."
Meanwhile, QRU chairman Peter Lewis will seek compensation from rival Super 14 teams that poach young Queensland talent. Lewis said Queensland and NSW made a significant investment in producing the majority of players for Australia's four Super rugby teams. "We put $20,000 to $30,000 into those kids," Lewis said. "At the very least we'd like the cash component back.
"We are the first to acknowledge we can't keep everyone. Two states are producing the players for four teams, soon to be five. It's only going to get worse.
"There has to be some acknowledgement of the production line."
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan ridiculed Lewis's proposal. "NSW and Queensland are at a distinct advantage," Fagan said. "They are the two most populous states and they are in the best position to pick and choose talent in their own systems.
"To suggest they need to be compensated ... they need to look internally why they are not retaining people in their own backyard."
Fagan said the ARU recognised the role of NSW and Queensland as nurseries by providing the two states with a combined $2.3 million in premier rugby funding.
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