$1m deal to keep Latham

[Jehna]

$1m deal to keep Latham

By Jim Tucker
October 18, 2007

A PACKAGE close to $1 million a year must urgently be hatched to keep Chris Latham in Australia in 2008 or the Wallabies risk further decay as a rugby power.

Toutai Kefu, the 1999 World Cup winner, led the call yesterday for the Australian Rugby Union to piece together such an offer for Latham to compete with the mega-deals in the pipeline from European clubs.

"Why don't they just give Lote's contract to Latho?" Kefu quipped yesterday. (Bahaha love this guy )

"The ARU should do everything possible to retain Latho in 2008 and beyond.
"They've moved mountains for other players and they have not delivered on the same scale for Latham."

Latham has already been linked to deals with Bristol and Ulster about playing in Europe after his 11th season with the Reds in Super 14 finishes in May.

He confided yesterday he was still waiting for his "head to clear" after Australia's shock World Cup exit before sitting down to the serious business of working out his future.

"I haven't decided anything. I need some space away from the World Cup first but there'll be an answer in the next month," the 78-Test fullback said.
Latham said reports he had already signed for Irish team Ulster were untrue. His near signing with Irish club Munster for 2004 still suggests Ulster is well in the hunt.

As a 10-year Wallaby servant, Latham is free to cut short the final year of his current contract with the ARU in 2008 and head abroad mid-year if he sees that as his future.

News that Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock will miss the Super 14 season because of a shoulder reconstruction also highlights the importance of holding on to Latham.


The Courier Mail

[Jehna]

ARU ready to snap up Latham

October 18, 2007
THE Australian Rugby Union (ARU) today said it would move quickly to re-sign Chris Latham after the Wallabies fullback was linked to another European club.

Pressure is on the ARU to extend Latham's contract beyond 2008 after the Australian fullback said Europe is “definitely'' an option next year.

A News Limited newspaper today claimed Northern Irish province Ulster had already signed the damaging No.15.

Latham, 32, today denied the report but made it clear Europe was an option.

”Most definitely. At the end of the day it comes down to not being offered a contract by the ARU and European clubs are interested so that's why I am entertaining the idea,'' he said.

Asked if there were future ARU talks planned, Latham said: “That's up to them, I have no idea.''

Besides the recent link with Ulster, Latham reportedly met with British club Bristol's coach Richard Hill two days before the Wallabies' World Cup clash against Wales.

There was speculation that under early release provisions afforded to long-serving Wallabies, Latham had the option of winding up his career in Australia after next season's Super 14.

But the ARU today said Latham was contracted until “`at least'' the end of the 2008 Tri Nations campaign.

”Our position is that he is contracted with us until the end of next year and he will be playing with us until at least the end of the Tri Nations next year,'' an ARU spokesman said.

”The ARU will be speaking with him about an extension beyond 2008 in the very near future.

”He is a very valuable member of the Wallabies squad and we are very keen to keep him.''

The nine-Test 2008 Tri Nations is expected to conclude in early September next year - about the same time the European domestic season begins.

In 2003, Latham looked set to move to Europe but eventually turned down an offer to join Munster after deciding to stay with the Queensland Reds.

New Reds coach Phil Mooney hoped the ARU settled the issue before it “gets out of hand''.

He believed Latham's future would be decided by the start of the 2008 Super 14 season.

”With a player of Chris's standing we are reliant on ARU top ups to pay him his contract,'' he said.

”We've made it pretty clear from Queensland's point of view that we would love to keep him but it's obviously dependent on the ARU and where they see Chris' future.”

AAP

[JediKnight]

$1m for a crocked has-been? That'd only be worth it if he was contracted out to a Super14 team that had a chance of winning the competition (and no, the wooden spoon doesn't count).

I thought he was heading to Europe straight away after the RWC (as in now) and not waiting for the 2008 Super14 to end in abject failure for the Reds (yet again) before playing 2008/9 in Europe. If he's hanging around for Super14 2008 why bother giving him any more money as it'll be time for him to go out to pasture (or the glue factory) by then.

[Jehna]

Are you serious? Latho is the best! There is no way I'd consider him to be a has been! His form this world cup was unbelievable. Admittedly he may be passed his use by date in 2011 but even on that i'm not convinced...he's an incredibly talent and someone i think has just improved as he's got older.....like a fine wine really (something you should totally understand Andy )

Like the article says, if they're prepared to spend the big bucks on players like Tuqiri who under perform and are likely to be past it at the next World Cup as well, then why not fork out even a third of that for Latho?

As for him leaving for Europe, there was speculation during the Cup but he claimed to be holding off on negotiations until it was over. He's still contracted until the end of next year's super 14 season. He could seek an early release but i was under the impression that they ARU said they wouldn't approve it.

I think it would be a shame to lose him. Unlike Greegs and Larkham he hasn't had the opportunity to achieve everything he can in Aussie Rugby. He may have been in 3 world cups but he spent 1999 as a young'un without much game time, 2003 as an understudy to Burke and totally underrated, and now 2007 when his greatness if finally being acknowledge we get kicked out...it's sad...

YAY for Latho! You won't change my mind on this one Andy Bloody english bandwagon supporter....hehe

[Flamethrower]

Maybe the Tah's would have some $$$ left after chasing Mungo's.

[Happy]

holding the ARU over a barrel and threatening a reaming "if you don't sign me" I think is very unAustralian

[JediKnight]

holding the ARU over a barrel and threatening a reaming "if you don't sign me" I think is very unAustralian

So is playing with socks around your ankles.....pull them up, old man!!!

[Happy]

he's a QLD trendsetter .. not!

[Jess]

you really don't rate latho jedi???

[James]

I rate Latham very highly but the fact remains that he'll be something like 36 by the time RWC 2011 comes round and unless you play for England it just is too old. If they want him- let him go for 2 or 3 years and come back a year before the cup and if he makes the squad thats cool. It would suck to see him go but if every Wallaby star said that he was going to go unless he got $1m we'd have a pretty serious problem (we'd be stuck with more Lotes). Let Cam Shepherd or Drew Mitchell or Lachie Turner have their chance.

[JediKnight]

you really don't rate latho jedi???

At the end of each 4-year RWC cycle you have to look at who's going to be in the mix for the next competition. If Latho's going to be 36 by 2011 then he's too old. In recent times, there's only been one player good enough to play RWC rugby at that age (and he's still going) - Mike Catt.

The ARU need to look to the future and at #15 that's either Sheps or Drew.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Your on the money, Jedi.

[prop53]

i agree kepp the money for Sheps or Drew (our future)

[JediKnight]

Your on the money, Jedi.

There speaks the voice of reason.

[James]

i agree kepp the money for Sheps or Drew (our future)

You don't even need to keep it for them. Put it into props. Whats the point of having a multi-million star studded backline if they get bad quality ball and are always going backwards.