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Wayne Smith | January 28, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html
WALLABIES mainstay Rocky Elsom has been advised by the Australian Rugby Union to check out what offers he can attract from British and European clubs.
The 32-Test blindside flanker, who is negotiating his own contract, has encountered the same implacable approach from ARU high performance unit manager Pat Howard as a number of other well-regarded Wallabies, with all players being told - often in the bluntest of terms - that salaries have to be reined in.
So tight are the purse strings that Elsom was told by Howard to investigate other options.
"He told me it might be a good idea that I have a look overseas," Elsom said yesterday.
It was not advice the rugged backrower, last year's winner of the Matt Burke Cup as the Waratahs' best player, particularly wanted to hear.
Elsom, 24, understandably believes he still has a lot to offer the Wallabies and has put a freeze on his negotiations until the ARU is a little more receptive.
"I might wait until they're in a good frame of mind, until they get a little keener to stitch the deal up," he said.
Elsom, seemingly, would not have any difficulty attracting a high-priced northern hemisphere offer, judging by the interest being shown in his Waratahs and Test backrow partner Wycliff Palu.
The starting World Cup number eight is being pursued by three of the most cashed-up and powerful clubs in Europe, Clermont-Ferrand in France, Llanelli in Wales and Eddie Jones' Saracens in England.
Although Palu, 25, is being offered a substantially improved contract - as he should be, given he was not a Test player when he negotiated his existing deal - his manager Cameron Day said the proposed ARU offer was "not even close" to what the European clubs are dangling.
"If Cliff decides to stay, it will be for reasons other than money," Day said.
The loss of key Wallabies Chris Latham and Dan Vickerman to English clubs has called into question the ARU's hard-line approach to player contracts.
While there is a general acceptance that cutbacks need to be made, the ARU appears to be economising in the wrong area.
Instead of making savings by taking a tough stance with its few world-class players, it could instead be scaling down the number of players directly receiving ARU money.
At present, around 55 players have their Super 14 contracts topped up by the national body, including a couple who almost certainly will never play for the Wallabies again.
A more realistic figure would be around 35 players, which would still leave scope to target the best young up-and-comers.
It's not just Australian players who are being pursued by British clubs. The same also applies to the country's top coaches, with Wallabies attack coach Scott Johnson being named by Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young as his preferred backs coach.
The position has become vacant following the selection of Rob Howley as Wales' backs coach. Johnson remains under contract with the ARU and still no decision has been made whether he or any other of the Wallabies assistant coaches will be asked to stay on under Robbie Deans.
Meanwhile, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is considering unleashing the full might of his squad in Friday night's trial against the Brumbies at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium.
McKenzie had intended to keep Elsom, Vickerman and Lote Tuqiri in reserve for his side's final pre-Super 14 trial against the Crusaders in Sydney on February 7 but so motivated were the senior players after watching their younger squad members defeat the Reds 26-10 at Campbelltown on Saturday that they have asked for a run against the Brumbies.
Indications are the Brumbies will hold back seven of their World Cup players until their final trial hit-out, against the Hurricanes in New Zealand, with only tighthead Guy Shepherdson likely to be thrown in against the Waratahs.
As heartening as was NSW's performance against the old enemy Queensland, particularly that of rugby debutant Timana Tahu, who scored with just his second touch of the ball, the Waratahs paid heavily for the win with halves Josh Valentine and Daniel Halangahu both injured.
Most worrying is Halangahu's apparent ankle syndesmosis which, if confirmed by scans, would see him miss up to eight weeks of football.
The Reds, meanwhile, will field virtually all of their stars against the Blues at Ballymore on Thursday, with new recruit Leroy Houston expected to start at number eight in the absence of captain John Roe, who is being given an extra week to recover from his shoulder reconstruction.
I'm interested in seeing where this is going. I like the stance Howard has and his presence during the woeful Tuqiri saga would have been welcome. That said I'd rather all this come out next year because as it stands if a dozen senior players don't re-sign depth across all four Australian teams is going to be non-existent we are all a little stretched this year as it is. There is plenty of great talent coming through but I can see this hurting some of the super 14 teams in the short-term at a time when we need some quality results.
It also doesn't bode well given that Henjak, Sharpie, Sheps and a few others will be off contract this year.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Are they really serious about this stance? I men Rock's a pretty big name in the new Wallabies for mine (But then so was Latho for a time) Dan Vickerman may also have been pushed a bit more than he is letting on....
I don't have any problem with a youth drive, particularly in the year following a World Cup, but seriously, we need some talent in the cupboard to transfer the skills and procedures that have been built up over decades of Wallabies tradition.
I'll wait until this is all over before making a final judgement, but I must say, I'm more than a little worried.
On the bright side, it doesn't look like there's a halfback in the country that compares with Henners, so he might pick up a contract which (let's face it) was looking a pretty slim chance last year!
C'mon the![]()
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Trouble is, at 24, Rocky is "youth"!
As a Backrow he is just coming into the prime of his career.
This is an absolute joke of a move, they should be doing everything possible to retain players of his mold, especially with the predicted new mobile style of play possible with the ELV's.
Instead they pay top dollar for overated has-been trouble like Tuqiri when nearly as good outside backs are a dime a dozen in Australia.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Luke Burgess and Josh Holmes are both better than Henners, Gigsa.
Laura Force Addict v Chook scrabble-off on Facebook: laura & Force Addict 0 | chook 9
Gigsa made me do it
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu
Everybody. Cept for TimTam WaraTAHu of course.
Laura Force Addict v Chook scrabble-off on Facebook: laura & Force Addict 0 | chook 9
Gigsa made me do it
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu
lets get rid of the old ones keep the youth policy, send Lote to Europe save big money there. And keep away from league players altogether. Youth are our World Cups of the future