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Thread: Front-rowers' poor pay a cause of 'team tension'

  1. #1
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    Front-rowers' poor pay a cause of 'team tension'

    FORMER Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon claimed yesterday the relative underpayment of front-rowers in Australian rugby was creating deep-seated tensions within professional teams.

    Cannon supported the claim of Test tighthead Matt Dunning in The Australian yesterday that it was unfair front-rowers earn substantially less than the flashy backs who rely on the hard work of engine-room players to win them the ball.

    "Front-rowers would earn between 20-40 per cent less than backs of equivalent standing," Cannon said. "I've always felt that in a team sport everyone should be on the same money.

    "Obviously there are always going to be a half-dozen 'entertainers' who will attract third-party sponsorships on top of that, but the base rate should be the same.

    Rugby is structured so that everyone contributes in order for a few people to star.
    "People won't talk about it openly but it's very hard to play in a team when you are doing exactly the same hard work as other guys who are earning so much more than you."

    Matt Giteau, reputedly Australia's highest-paid rugby player even if he described himself as "Australia's highest-promised rugby player" -- a rueful reference to the failure of his third-party sponsor, Firepower, to deliver on what it offered him -- admitted he could not do what he does without the efforts of the unsung "piano lifters" up front. "What Matty Dunning is saying is true -- the forwards for the Wallabies laid a fantastic platform last year so the backs could attack off it," Giteau said. "I certainly agree that as a backline you can only perform as well as the forwards' platform allows you to."

    He also agreed with Cannon that the subject is almost a taboo within teams.
    "As for it causing rifts in teams, I certainly have never come across anything where players have begrudged other players because they're earning more," said Giteau, noting all players receive the same bonus for playing in Tests.

    "In the end, the biggest thing is that you've got the opportunity to represent your country. I understand that some guys might be upset earning less but if you go back to when it was amateur, guys were actually sacrificing money, sacrificing jobs, to play for Australia."

    Rugby Union Players Association boss Tony Dempsey conceded Cannon was "not far off the mark" with his assessment of a 20-40 per cent discrepancy working against front-rowers, but said there had been no groundswell from his membership to redress the situation.

    "We prefer to let market forces deliver the outcome," Dempsey said. "But if the case was put to us that some positions were being manifestly discriminated against ... then we would look at it."

    Former Wallabies coach John Connolly said there was no disputing Australia put a much lower monetary value on props than Britain or France.

    "That definitely shouldn't be the case, but it is," Connolly said.

    Dunning is well aware from the offers he has received from European clubs he can command more than double what he is being offered by the Australian Rugby Union.

    He declined to reveal what ARU contract negotiator Peter Friend had put before him, but it is rumoured the national body is offering him no more than a nominal top-up over and above the $130,000 the Waratahs can bring to the table.

    If those rumoured figures are correct, it suggests the ARU believes it is now well-covered with rising young props Ben Alexander, Dan Palmer, Ben Daley and Laurie Weeks and can present 44-Test veteran Dunning with a "take it or leave it" offer.

    If that is the case, it's an intriguing rewriting of the rugby adage that props don't mature until they are in their late 20s. Dunning, who turned 30 in December, believes he is only just coming into his playing prime.

    While some European clubs are prepared to hold off until June to give him time to prove he has fully recovered from a snapped achilles tendon, others are demanding he make a decision within a month.

    "I want to give Australian rugby every chance and my best chance of getting a good offer out of them is to get back on the paddock and start playing well again," Dunning said.


    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

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    Senior Player Action Hardcore's Avatar
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    Whatever they're paying Dunning, it's too much...

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    he spends almost half his pay on pies without noticing. no wonder he complains about being underpaid...

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    I can certainly understand the angst, but would also note that while we have some world class backs, the forwards are probably not quite as prominent. Would that we had some props capable of being compared with the likes of Hayman, and forwards in general with the standing relative to their peers that Mortlock or Giteau have.

    I wonder whether the complaint stretches as far as Smith? It is probably only him and Moore (maybe!) that might have cause for grumbling.

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    Not sure how the pay scale works,but Im sure it is dictated by supply and demand.I'd like to see the money spread more evenly amoungst the boys,youd thought that would be the case with wallabies,with the exception of a few superstars.

    Front rowers aren't valued as much here in aus as they are in europe,thats been obvious for years.It helps to have a good agent as well.

    Also our front rowers are still pretty young

    Ben Robinson 24
    tatafu 23
    kepu 22
    weeks 23
    alexander 24
    palmer 20
    daley 20
    cowan 22
    s faingaa 21
    G holmes 25
    edwards 24

    looks good for the future

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    Last edited by Cookie; 20-03-09 at 13:16.

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    Champion prop53's Avatar
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    What the hell as age got to do with it ? If you are good enough to represent your Country, State, or Club Then its that what counts not your bloody age. And if you represent your Country then you cannot get higher then that and you should then be the best at that position at that time. And be paid the correct amount which should be across the board payments for each test and maybe a slight difference in your retainer. But at the end of the day you still require 15 players on the pitch to play Rugby

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    (a.k.a. Mr Pinkbits) Stone Cold's Avatar
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    Should pay the boys what they are worth...they do all the hard work...dunning has been a stalwart wallaby and deserves a bit of respect if not some more cash

    Maybe look for appropriate third party endorsements from 4&20 or Mrs Macs etc...

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    coz Stone Cold says so

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    Legend Contributor Flamethrower's Avatar
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    "Front-rowers would earn between 20-40 per cent less than backs of equivalent standing," Cannon said.
    They eat 60-70 per cent more than the backs and the clubs have to pay excess weight fees every time they fly.
    Need to add up the total package not just $$ in the bank.


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    Posted via space



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    The fat boys up front win rugby games, i know it and you know it. Its about time for parity on the money front. By the way this isnt a endorsement for Fatty and Trestle!

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    Champion Contributor tragic's Avatar
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    The flashy running backs and co. may be crowd pleasers, but who doesn't love a monster scrum or a steamrolling maul? Who doesn't love to watch one of the big guys push through a desperate defence like they were weren't there and dive over the try line?

    The forwards are crowd favourites as well. Just ask AJ!

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