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By Jim Morton
May 15, 2009 Queensland Reds coach Phil Mooney has warned Australian rugby doesn't have the playing stocks to house a fifth franchise in a proposed expanded Super 15 from 2011.
After many months of bickering and disagreement, leading officials from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa agreed on a Super rugby compromise in crisis talks in Dublin.
While governing body SANZAR were keeping the finer details of their expansion plans secret, the early indications were Australia would be the base for the new 15th team.
If that's the case, Melbourne - edged out by Perth's Western Force for a Super 14 berth in 2006 - stands as the overwhelming favourite for the licence.
But Mooney, whose Reds have finished in the bottom three of the ladder for the past six seasons, feared a fifth Australian team would be cannon-fodder and could also undermine the four existing teams.
Of the Australian teams only New South Wales Waratahs (twice) have made the finals since the competition was expanded to a Super 14 and none sit in the top four going into final round.
"I just can't see where a fifth Australian team are going to get the players from," Mooney said.
"If you take all young guys, which we have done, you're going to take a few hits.
"If you pick all the old guys I would argue that Super 14 has probably moved on from them.
"We're talking about starting a new team and if the Australian teams were coming one, two, three, four I'd say yep but as we speak not one of them are in the four."
While a supporter of expansion, Mooney would prefer to see a combined Pacific Islander team admitted which could either be based in Australia or NZ.
"Samoa, Fiji, Tonga have been punching above their weight for a long time," he said. "I think we've got a responsibility to help develop the game there."
Victorian Rugby Union president Gary Gray denied a Melbourne side would struggle for talent and would be competitive with a squad which would contain between 12-15 Islander players.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html
AAP