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Former Queensland Rugby chairman Peter Lewis has revealed how a failure to secure $200,000 in third-party support cost the Reds a chance at Wallabies star Rocky Elsom.
The embattled Reds were hot favourites to sign the blindside flanker but missed out on another topline recruit when he agreed to join the Brumbies next year.
Elsom said he chose the Brumbies over the Reds because he did not see eye to eye with Queensland officials' vision for the future. But Lewis believes the Reds would have secured Elsom if they had a "sugar daddy" prepared to bankroll a recruitment drive, similar to Gold Coast United benefactor Clive Palmer.
Deposed Reds coach Phil Mooney, axed a fortnight ago, was criticised for lacking the pulling power to attract the code's biggest names, but Lewis lamented the cold shoulder from Queensland's corporate world. "The lack of third-party money kills us," said Lewis, who quit in July.
"What we need is a Clive Palmer. Until there is a sugar daddy to help Queensland, there will be more of the same.
"We don't have one and that's why we didn't get Rocky Elsom.
"Critics say we can't attract players, that's bull. We can attract players. What we can't do is match the third-party money other provinces offer.
"We would have had Rocky Elsom had somebody been prepared to give him $200,000 on top of his base contract.
"You can't blame Rocky or the players. If they can get $200,000 on top of their deal for playing rugby, why wouldn't they take it?"
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