The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight

[travelling_gerry]

The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight


The beleaguered Western Force officials have stated that they intend to replace their star five-eights Matt Giteau with a ‘marquee’ player from overseas. One of the players mentioned is the All Blacks veteran Aaron Mauger, now playing with lackluster mediocrity in the United Kingdom.
This suggestion of Mauger would be risible if it were not for the fact that this season’s marquee signing by the Force is Ben Castle, a journeyman prop that even the Chiefs, with their pathetic props, were happy to let go of.
With Daniel Braid, another marquee signing, this time for the Queensland Reds, taking a place and money that should go to a rising young Australian flanker, it’s time for the ARU to step in and tell the Super 14 franchises that their marquee signings have to be approved by the ARU.
If this is done, Braid, Castle and someone like Mauger would be shown the door before any contract is signed.
We’ve recently had the news that Sam Norton-Knight is preparing to sign up with Japanese rugby at the end of this season.
Why? Because he wants to play five-eights and there is no chance of him doing that at the Waratahs.
Norton-Knight is 24 and has played for the Wallabies at five-eight. He is too good a player and too young to be lost to Australian rugby right now.
So why won’t the Force make him an offer he can’t refuse to play in Perth at five-eighths? The combination of Norton-Knight and James O’Connor could be a lethal pairing.
And if the Force is too stupid to do this, why shouldn’t David Nucifora, the ARU’s High Performance manager, step in and put pressure on the Force to do the right thing for their franchise and for Australian rugby?


http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/03/03...norton-knight/

[blueandblack]

"The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight"?

* note to self: theroar is a dating website. avoid *

[Burgs]

First they don't want us to take or compete for any of their players, now they are telling us which of their off castes we should have
How does "Get F*...." sound?

[shasta]

How does "Get F*...." sound?

Hmmm. I actually rate him a bit higher than most seem to. He's a pretty good tactical kicker who has not been entirely hopeless at 10, but lacks consistency especially in defense. At 24 he's just getting to the stage where he's an experienced S14 player. He's been good so far this year. The jury is still out, though. See how he goes for the rest of the year.

BRING BACK JIMMY! Was it sheer coincidence he was with the boys in Canberra on the weekend?

[Burgs]

More at the principle than the player on this one Shasta

[shasta]

More at the principle than the player on this one Shasta

Yeah, I can go along with that. But what else can you expect from The Roar? They even publish Muddy's ramblings.

[MI5_Dog]

A fairly disappointing article from Spirro.

If I were to sum up that article it would be something like 'hey force you should suffer with a second rate fly-half that nobody else wants because it's for the good of Australian rugby as we might need a 4th fly-half at some point'

[WF2006]

The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight

Shudder, shudder, shudder....................

[The InnFORCEr]

BRING BACK JIMMY! Was it sheer coincidence he was with the boys in Canberra on the weekend?

Yes it was Shasta. I heard little birdies chirping away while we were there and he is just on holidays and is still contracted to play in Japan.

Sorry, but don't shoot the messenger.

[Cowboy]

A fairly disappointing article from Spirro.

If I were to sum up that article it would be something like 'hey force you should suffer with a second rate fly-half that nobody else wants because it's for the good of Australian rugby as we might need a 4th fly-half at some point'

That summation also applies to their opinion of everything else force related- coaching staff, players, revenue, membership etc.

[shasta]

he is just on holidays and is still contracted to play in Japan.

Then I can hope his contract has a similar clause to the one in Daniel Braid's contract for 2009 in Auckland. Or Chris O's Scottish one for 2008.

[tragic]

"The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight"?

* note to self: theroar is a dating website. avoid *

[The EnForcer]

I guess when you make your living out of writing and you are sinking into oblivion you have to produce what the "popular" press want to hear. Shame, Spiro used to write to a higher standard than that.