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Found this gem of an article from back in the day
Five players may go as Tahs consider cull
Josh Rakic | May 10, 2009
WARATAHS players won't be spared in the current financial crisis, with as many as five players likely to be cut from the squad of 33 to help to ease financial burden.
Fringe Super 14 player Peter Playford is believed to be among the unlucky nominees to lose a spot.
The Queensland Reds set the trend this year by reducing their roster to 32, having foreseen financial hardship. Queensland Rugby Union chairman Peter Lewis told The Sun-Herald economic times would get tougher and he expected a move to cut five players would save the Waratahs about half a million dollars a season, when salaries and other expenses were taken into account.
"In round figures, you're looking at $100,000 a hit per player, so there's half a million straight on the bottom line," Lewis said. "It's a reality that every Super club has to face, absolutely.
"The Reds took a conscious decision early in the year that if we can live with 32 we will, but we might have to live with 28 or 30.
"Rugby is a luxury item and when people look at their budgets it's very easy to cut your pay TV subscription and your football tickets, which unfortunately funnels down to the players in the end.
"It's tough times and you've got to cut your costs. The decision on who to cut is the coach's prerogative, at least at the Reds, but it's a tough call whichever way you go.
"All finances are well and truly under the microscope. The pressure's on, there's no question, because next year will be a lot tougher than this."
As with the Waratahs, the Reds are backing a move to have the Australian teams play each other twice a season.
As many as 20 players with Super rugby experience could be free agents in 2010. However, Lewis said a fifth Australian team was not an option to boost earnings, corporate and fan support.
"The only input clubs have had in the coming SANZAR meeting is that we've made two things very clear," Lewis said. "We desperately want an expansion of the competition, particularly more local derbies, which are critical to our financial success. And we want the ARU to be very careful about a fifth Australian team because I don't think we have the manpower to successfully build a fifth team.
"We don't want our teams raked over again like what happened when they set up Perth.
"Even look at the Super 14 now, Australia's struggling to get one team in the top four. That tells you that we're not as good as we should be with four teams. How are we going to be if we spread it over five teams?"
Lewis is, however, in favour of a fifth Australia-based team, with rumours circling that a hybrid team made up of predominantly Islander and Japanese players could be based on the Gold Coast.
"Personally, I'd like to see Argentina more engaged, with a team based out of Brisbane or the Gold Coast for four months of the year," Lewis said.
"They came third in the World Cup and they're not involved in any major domestic competition - Super 14 or Six Nations. They're the third-best country in the world and we don't see enough of them.
"But if it does happen and if we do get a longer season, clubs are going to have to hope they can make do with fewer players. Things aren't getting any easier."