Rocky Elsom to return to Australia with Brumbies emerging as contenders

[mudskipper]

Check the by-line people, the Brumbies' pet journo is trying to put a seed in Elsom's mind that there might be some moey for him there.

Can't see where it's coming from unless the Collins class submarine that Muskipper is constantly referring to is on a leaseback scheme with the navy.....That's probably it, the Navy are enlisting the entire Brumbies playing roster as a third party agreement.....the club has no knowledge of this whatsoever, but they're all enlisted as rear admirals (pay grade) and based at Canberra oval in the Physical Training section......

It all looks like fluff to me, but the way the Brumbies have been flashing the chequebook around this year, who can tell where it'll end?

I'd like to know how they're going to whittle their squad down to 33 once they stop signing every available international-class player.

What can I say players just what to be a part of a good thing GIGs....

[TOCC]

how hard is it to comprehend, why do people keep reffering to the provinces and money...


Every province can only offer $110k with third part offers as top-ups.

In the case of Elsom, the majority of his money will come from the ARU, which he would receive regardless of which province he played for..

---------- Post added at 20:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:08 ----------

Please, if this was a Western Force player you would all be crying bloody murder, open your eyes for once

[mudskipper]

how hard is it to comprehend, why do people keep reffering to the provinces and money...


Every province can only offer $110k with third part offers as top-ups.

In the case of Elsom, the majority of his money will come from the ARU, which he would receive regardless of which province he played for..

---------- Post added at 20:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:08 ----------

Please, if this was a Western Force player you would all be crying bloody murder, open your eyes for once

I've heard they have a little trouble separating the deals, the cash and stakeholders in the west province... me thinks...

[Darren]

Please, if this was a Western Force player you would all be crying bloody murder, open your eyes for once

Serious question - I've just re-read the thread - what would we be crying bloody murder about here?

[laura]

Always up for a cheap shot ey.
Good thing Gits is keeping his house in Perth... With the Brums spending every last cent on players for next year, they'll need some 'mates-rates' accomodation for their trip over here.

[mudskipper]

Well he can hardly sell it at half price now the Perth real-estate market has fallen over...

[Darren]

actually - the Perth real Estate market is growing ...

[mudskipper]

Rocky Elsom would be an excellent fit with the Brumbies... If it was Rocky or Rabbit... you can keep the kid... times running out the Brumbies are going to focus their resources on the best available talent... With Rocky on board what a team the Brumbies would field in 2010…

So Rocky come to the Brumbies and become a Super Rugby Champion…

The Force should have a crack at Rocky also, he doesn't want to return to the Tahs...

---------- Post added at 20:52 ---------- Previous post was at 20:44 ----------

Russian Investors Translation

Рокки Элсом был бы превосходным пригодным с Необъезженными лошадями... Если это был Рокки или Кролик ..., Вы можете держать ребенка ... временами, выбегая, Необъезженные лошади собираются сосредотачивать их ресурсы на лучшем доступном таланте... С Рокки на борт, что команда Необъезженные лошади область в 2010 …

Так Рокки прибывают в Необъезженных лошадей и становится Чемпионом Регби Высшего качества …

Сила должна иметь трещину в Рокки также, он не хочет возвратиться к Tahs...

[mudskipper]

Rocky Elsom has confirmed that he is leaving Irish rugby union province Leinster to return to Australia.

Elsom was named as the man-of-the-match after he helped Leinster win the European Cup last weekend.

The 26-year-old flanker will play for the Barbarians against England this weekend before taking on the Wallabies in Sydney the following Saturday.

Elsom has not yet decided with which Australian Super 14 team he will sign.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...29/2584995.htm

---------- Post added at 19:09 ---------- Previous post was at 19:03 ----------

Elsom set to return

Friday, May 29, 2009

ROCKY ELSOM has given further broad hints that he is set to return to Australia and play Super 14 rugby next season, writes GERRY THORNLEY .

With the Australian Rugby Union playing hard ball over Elsom’s need to play for a Super 14 franchise if he wants to resume playing for Australia, the ACT Brumbies have emerged as the strong favourites to sign the former New South Wales Warathahs flanker.

Elsom, who is with the Barbarians in London prior to their game against England in Twickenham tomorrow, is due to return to Australia as part of the Baabaas squad for their game against the Wallabies next week and will resume negotiations with the ARU and the Brumbies, and perhaps the Waratahs as well.

“I’ve really enjoyed this season,” said the 58-times capped Elsom.

“I already liked Dublin before playing for Leinster and obviously enjoyed the rugby. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I have done but ultimately I’m Australian and I want to play for Australia. You don’t always have the opportunity to do that but I do now so I want to take advantage of it.”

“My contract with Leinster is over so I’m going to try and head back to Australia. I want to play for a Super 14 team because my first priority has always been the Wallabies. That’s what I want to do. I’ve spoken at length with the Australian management about moving back, it’s not something I’ve only just decided to do. It’s just about finalising things now.”

That said, the option of a one-year extension with Leinster remains on the table and no deal has yet been finalised with the ARU and the Brumbies.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...247668202.html

[TOCC]

Reds have done themselves harm by following the rules, even though they had third party sponsors willing to line up and pay Rocky, they played within the rules which means they wouldnt offer him the third party sponsorship until he had actually signed with QLD.

As a result they are likley to now miss out on rocky.

[travelling_gerry]

By Wayne Smith
June 02, 2009 .Rocky Elsom said the realisation that he and Queensland Reds would not be a good fit prompted him to break off negotiations with the side, opening the way for him to sign with the Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union.

From the outset the Reds had been favourites to recruit Elsom on his return from his eight-month stint with Heineken Cup champions Leinster, so much so that the 40-Test blindside flanker had insisted he would talk to no other province as long as the Queensland deal proceeded smoothly.

But almost from that point, negotiations became strained and while Elsom refused to divulge precisely where his planned move to Ballymore went off the rails, he admitted he had not seen eye-to-eye with Queensland officials.

"We had a difference of opinion over the direction of the club and ultimately had I gone there that would have been divisive," said Elsom, who has returned to Australia as a member of the Barbarians side to play the Wallabies at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.

"I wouldn't have been able to go to the club without trying to make it the way I wanted it and in the end I just knew it wouldn't be a good fit."

Clearly the in-form blindside flanker had reservations about the quality of the team Queensland was assembling for 2010, although he insisted he had made his decision to break off talks before learning Hugh McMeniman had quit the Reds to take up a lucrative contract in Japan.

So late did Elsom leave it to walk away from the Queensland deal - and the $100,000 in third-party payments that Reds sponsors were prepared to give him - that he left himself no time to negotiate with his former province, NSW.

"I had a few time pressures when I was doing the deal. In hindsight, I probably gave too much time to Queensland. But I was very happy with the way the Brumbies handled the deal and I like the direction they're heading in."

Indeed, now that his name will be entered on the team sheet along with Matt Giteau, George Smith, Stirling Mortlock, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Josh Valentine and quite possibly teenage prodigy James O'Connor, the Brumbies have at their disposal the nucleus of a team quite capable of challenging the new Super 14 champion, the Bulls.

"That's the plan, to give the Bulls a shake," Elsom said.

Indeed, Elsom regrets he will have to wait until next season to take on the Bulls, wishing that the much-discussed global grand final between the Super 14 champion and the northern hemisphere's Heineken Cup winner had not been turned into a reality.

"Leinster versus the Bulls ...yeah, if ever there was a chance to do it, it would have been now, except for the fact that the British and Irish Lions are now touring South Africa," said Elsom, the man of the match in Leinster's European Cup final victory over Leicester nine days ago.

"But a grand final is definitely something they should organise."

Elsom, who scored a try in the Barbarians' 33-26 victory over England at Twickenham, warned the Wallabies the Baa-Baas would be a difficult team to handle.

"It's a good side we've got," Elsom said.

"Obviously our preparations for this match aren't necessarily ideal but we gave England a good shake and it will be interesting to see how we go against the Wallabies. That will be a unique experience from my perspective."

Still, after lining up against the gold jerseys, he hopes to be wearing one the following weekend when Australia begins its 2009 Test campaign in Canberra against an Italian side that very much has an Australian flavour.

Former Brisbane Norths premier rugby five-eighth Kris Burton, now with Italy's Prato club, was named yesterday as replacement for the injured Andrea Marcato, joining fellow north Queenslander Luke McLean and former rugby league international Craig Gower in the Azzuri squad.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html

[mudskipper]

Well Rocky Elsom isn't at Leichhardt oval training with the Wallabies today where Deans will announce the Wallabies 22 for the Baa Baas... So he has time to meet and sign with the Brumbies and the ARU... The ARU will only accept with back into the Wallabies if he has committed to a S14 Australian province. So its likely all going to take place at the ARU HQ...

[travelling_gerry]

Why would he be training with the Wallaby's when he's playing for the Barbarians?

[mudskipper]

Rocky's road leads to Canberra
BY JOHN-PAUL MOLONEY, RUGBY UNION
3/06/2009 7:09:00 AM


Rocky Elsom is set to play his return match for the Wallabies on his new home turf at Canberra Stadium after he agrees today to join the ACT Brumbies in one of the club's biggest signing coups.
Elsom is due to meet with the ARU this morning to sign off on a two-year contract to make him available for the Brumbies and Wallabies through until the end of 2011.

He had been prevented from playing Test rugby until aligning with a provincial squad and will play for the Barbarians invitational team against Australia this weekend.

After making his commitment to the Brumbies today, Elsom will be given the green light for selection for the Test against Italy at Canberra Stadium on June13.

Given his extraordinary recent form for Heineken Cup-winning Irish club Leinster, Elsom would seem a certain selection in Robbie Deans's team.

His signing today will further reinforce the Brumbies as the most powerful Australian squad for next year's Super14.

He could also be joined by Wallabies and Western Force back James O'Connor, who is nearing a decision on his provincial future.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...a/1530301.aspx

---------- Post added at 08:19 ---------- Previous post was at 08:15 ----------

Brumbies fans expecting big things as the recruitment drive heats up

June 02, 2009 The Brumbies concede their recruitment drive will pile on the expectation as Australia's most successful team becomes the Super 14's super franchise.

With star flanker Rocky Elsom declaring he is “pretty likely” to link with the Brumbies and young gun James O'Connor still a chance of joining him, the ACT-based side has assembled a stellar roster for 2010 revolving around returning five-eighth Matt Giteau.

The re-signing of George Smith and the arrival of Josh Valentine from the Western Force will bolster a squad which already includes current Wallabies Stirling Mortlock, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore.

Asked about the likelihood of his signing with the side, Elsom told Sydney radio station 2KY on Tuesday: “I think that is pretty likely.

“I've obviously got to sign and there's still a couple of things to be worked out but it looks like that way.”

Brumbies coach Andy Friend said he expected a final answer from Elsom “within the next couple of days definitely”.

Friend, though, is less confident about luring 18-year-old O'Connor from the Force.

“I'm probably less confident with James, just sitting back and letting him go through his decision-making process,” the coach said.

But Friend, who endured a horror first year at the helm of the Brumbies with the death of Shawn Mackay after an accident in Durban, knows his roster will have Canberrans expecting a repeat of the Brumbies' 2001 and 2004 triumphs.

“For Canberra people, as much as they love the Brumbies, there's an air of expectation every time we take the field so that's sort of part and parcel of being involved here,” he said.

“(The recruitment) will definitely add to that.”

When Canberra is involved, the obvious question would seem to be: Why are Australia's rugby stars flocking there?

“Canberra often gets a bad wrap,” Friend said.

“But once you've lived here you find out life is pretty good down here.

“And I'd have to say that the signing of Matt Giteau, a Canberra boy coming home, that obviously adds a lot of credit.”

Friend said the possibilities for third party deals with corporations were healthy in the national capital.

“The club's always meant a lot to people who live here so I'm sure there are interested parties out there who want to look to support players if they want to come here,” he said.

“And there is money within Canberra so if those people are willing to part with that in order to assist in building a stronger Brumbies team that doesn't surprise me.”

Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill has said he would like to see third party deals audited and the Super 14 franchises' recruitment “protocols”, which include agreed basic salaries for players, policed better.

“We've got a very small pool here and everyone's after similar players and I think as long as it's an even playing field across all teams, may the best team win,” Friend said.

“If there's some other things going on that certain teams have the capability of being able to draw on some excess funds that others may not, then that's where it's probably uneven so if they wanted to audit that ... I can only see an upside to that.

“From all my observations I think the rules are reasonably clear and my belief is teams are sticking to that.”


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html

[Thequeerone]

I understood the original contract with leinster was 1 year with an option for a further year - Someone said it was worth 900,000 AUD - bet they have upped the anti as well.