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Phil Lutton, www.brisbanetimes.com.au | May 12, 2009 - 10:11AM
As Queensland begin the vital quest to retain the services of Berrick Barnes, the Reds playmaker has revealed he would have "struggled to stay" at Ballymore if his contract had expired at the end of last year's dismal Super 14 campaign.
But in positive news for the Reds' ambitions to keep the big-hearted backline general, Barnes says a desire to be around for the elusive good times could be enough to see him in Queensland colours beyond this season.
Snaring the signature of the 22-year-old Wallaby is the top priority for the Reds moving forward, with former Queensland fullback Chris Latham urging the franchise to do everything possible and more to lock Barnes away with a three-year deal.
Despite another disappointing Super 14 return, Queensland's wildly fluctuating efforts this season under second-year coach Phil Mooney may have just been enough to keep Barnes on board.
It wouldn't have been the case last season. Outwardly upbeat and optimistic, Barnes was privately unhappy with his form and battling with the weight of playing in a side putting in every effort and gaining little reward. The game he loves was ceasing to be fun.
"I'll be honest, last year if I came off (contract), I would have struggled to stay," Barnes said. "I would have struggled to stay with the way I was playing. I wasn't enjoying my footy.
"But this year, I can see that we have made improvements. You talk to other teams playing us and they know they are in for a game against us.
"I'd love to be around for the good times, that's for sure. I've done four tough years now and it hasn't been that great. But I'd like to be here when it is good. I've got a long way to go in this process.
"I know we are building towards something. I can see the light a bit more this year and I'd like to be a part of it."
Just how important Barnes is to the Reds equation was shown when he unluckily injured his groin while warming up to play the Brumbies two weeks ago. Without his assured touch, the Reds were floating in the wind, conceding 52 points in a forgettable drubbing.
In typical straight-shooting style, the likeable Barnes says stories about the Reds being a one-man show are "crap". Rather, he says it was the loss of big flanker Hugh McMeniman in the lead-up to the game that put the side on the back foot.
"That's crap mate," Barnes said of the notion he was the heartbeat of the Reds. "People look past it but the bloke we miss most on the field is Hugh McMeniman. Whether we've won or lost in the past few years is often because of him."
McMeniman, yet to sign with the Reds, is courting big money offers from international clubs. If the Reds snare the injury-prone giant, who is currently out for six months with an ankle injury, their chances of retaining Barnes could also improve.
"To us and the Wallabies, he's a massive loss. He brings that physicality. He's athletic. He jumps in line-outs. He gets around the park. For us to go forward, he's one of the key men we need to retain," said Barnes of teammate McMenimam.
Barnes' manager, Pete Rogers, says the kid from Kingaroy wants to stay with the Reds. But with interest rising in his services, nothing is for certain, meaning this weekend's game against the Hurricanes could still prove to be his last for Queensland.
Regardless of the contractual dealing, Barnes wants to overcome his groin injury and give the visiting Super 14 contenders a run for their money.
It's a game where he wants the long-suffering fans to walk out of the ground happy that Queensland has given its all. For the players, after a season that has yielded just three wins, it's about respect.
"You'd love to give the fans something to cheer about. There's no doubt about it that we're going to do it tough against a side that's pretty much full strength and pushing towards the semis," Barnes said.
"But stranger things have happened and we've got 80 minutes for our season and nothing to lose.
"The biggest thing is we have to get that respect back for ourselves. We have to look each other in the eye and say we'll give this a good crack and we had a good crack."
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