Beale to renew Tahs contract

[KenyaQuin]

Beale to renew Tahs contract
Sunday 13th January 2008 Planet Rugby

Kurtley Beale wants a longer stint with the Waratahs

Waratahs pivot Kurtley Beale has allayed fears that he might be lured to Rugby League next year, saying he wanted to play more Super 14 rugby first.

"I want to stay with the Waratahs," Beale told Australia's Sunday Telegraph.

"I've only played one season of Super 14 so I really want to get some more game time under my belt," added the Waratahs fly-half.

Up to as many a five Rugby League teams had made offers to one of Australia's brightest young stars late last year and Beale had indicated that he initially considered the lucrative offers.

However, the 19-year-old pivot has now been linked to a three-year contract renewal, which will see him at the New South Wales franchise until at least 2011.

"It's [the contract] getting sorted out at the moment. Hopefully it will all get fixed up sooner rather than later," said the Waratahs fly-half.

What could most definitely have been a decisive factor for Beale was the really good prospect of him wearing the Wallaby Number 10 jersey ahead of Berrick Barnes in this year's Tri-Nations tournament.

Most relieved about the change of heart will be the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), who would have struggled to compete with the high price tags of their Rugby League counterparts.

"Kurtley's obviously a young player of talent who has made enormous strides in a short period of time and still has the potential to make significant improvement in the years ahead," said ARU High Performance manager Pat Howard.

"We will be speaking to him about his future and clearly want to retain him in the game.

"He was identified at an early age, represented Australian Schoolboys and having worn the Waratahs jumper, we would like to see him go on to achieve the ultimate in our code by playing for the Wallabies," said Howard.

Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is also rather anxious about his top fly-half and hopes to get the Beale deal finalised within the next two months.

[chook]

Good stuff, the kid has some mad skillz. The mighty chip kick for one, and the little kick behind the defence line. He also has a rad little up'n'over kick that will bamboozle defenders across the S14. The kid has it all.

[Burgs]

Thankfully he has put on some serious muscle over the off-season, he may now have the body to last a season and make the most of his obvious potential.
The assumption that he is in front of Barnes is a stretch though.