Berrick Barnes poised to join NSW Waratahs

[Tazzmania]

and now what about Digby, this is not good for the balance of players in the Australian Franchises. Being a Force supporter and seeing Gits leave, makes it easy to empphathise with QLD supporters.

If someone as loyal as Barnes appears to be moving, in the years ahead getting players for five franchises could be a sideshow that we do not need in Australian rugby.

Like British soccer the rich will become strong and the poorer franchises will be perrennial strugglers

[GIGS20]

Given that something I read today said that Hickey views Drew Mitchell as a fullback (I cringed while reading it) where does that leave Helangahu?

Replacement fullback in week 6 after Drew has conclusively proven his talents in that position!

[James]

this is fucked and is the worst thing that could possibly happen to qld

seriously, how long does the ARU and QRU think that the Reds fans will stand by and watch this shit happen, pull your heads out of the sand and wake up, rugby is getting destroyed in QLD due to poor performances and low profiles, someone like Berrick had the potential to solve that....

Yeah its shit. Its one of the rare situations where the ARU should have made Barnes' top up condition on joining the Reds. The ARU have bailed out the Waratahs before. On the up side at least its only for 1 year. Maybe Barnes will come back when he realises being a Tah is about the worst thing that can happen to you. In the mean time I suppose the Reds have to keep their heads down and work on rebuilding the dam wall.

[shasta]

Yeah its shit. Its one of the rare situations where the ARU should have made Barnes' top up condition on joining the Reds. The ARU have bailed out the Waratahs before. .

While I agree it's terrible news for Oz Rugby, I would not like to see the ARU pressuring people to play/stay at certain franchises. Rightly or wrongly there is suspicion that the ARU has greased the wheels to facilitate player contracts at Waratah Rugby in the past. The states want full control over S15 player contracting and the sooner the better. It's a total dog's breakfast at the moment.

[jargan83]

Rightly or wrongly there is suspicion that the ARU has greased the wheels to facilitate player contracts at Waratah Rugby in the past. The states want full control over S15 player contracting and the sooner the better. It's a total dog's breakfast at the moment.

Your not wrong, I heard from a sauce or two that the RugbyWA and JO'C came to a deal weeks ago and yet the ARU is still dragging it's heels in getting it's part of the deal finalised

[TOCC]

While I agree it's terrible news for Oz Rugby, I would not like to see the ARU pressuring people to play/stay at certain franchises. Rightly or wrongly there is suspicion that the ARU has greased the wheels to facilitate player contracts at Waratah Rugby in the past. The states want full control over S15 player contracting and the sooner the better. It's a total dog's breakfast at the moment.

The ARU wouldnt be pressuring people to play/stay at franchises, almost like a marquee player, at the end of the day each team has one of those players that they just cant afford to lose, there value to the club represents a whole lot more then what they give on the field(tradition, values) or players who are absolutely fundamental to the future, players like:

NSW - Phil Waugh
ACT - Stirling Mortlock/George Smith
QLD - Barnes
WA - JOC?

Why whouldnt these clubs be able to pay these players more, have some kind of set-up where each club is allowed to choose one or two players and be allowed to pay them above the limit set by the ARU.

Alternatively, abolish the ARU central contracting and just have a salary cap

[GIGS20]

NSW - Phil Waugh
ACT - Stirling Mortlock/George Smith
QLD - Barnes
WA - JOC?

I'd say it'd be more likely to be a forward. Losing Sharpie would kill us, BamBam and Browny would be my other contenders for the crown.

ps Comisserations from me TOCC, I might give you shit about the Reds, but they have easily slotted in to second team status for me based upon the fact that they continue to be savaged by the mucky mucks!

Berrick will look crap in poofy blue!

[TOCC]

yeah cheers, meh what can i say, Berrick is my favourite player, he is just so down to earth, its going to be hard to actually give a crap in 2010 now.

[robyn <3]

That's a real shock. Worst news for the Reds, loosing such a fundamental player. I thought Berrick was sincerely a QLD boy through and through. Wow. Bad news for rugby all round

Berrick will look crap in poofy blue!

Who doesn't!

[KenyaQuin]

Don't think we can fault the ARU on this.

Berrick is obviously an ambitious player and he has the skills to match and from what I'm reading he's moving to the Tahs in large part because he believes he'll achieve success more often with them than he did with the Reds and possibly even, God forbid, be part of a championship team.

Now, if he presents this argument to the ARU and as condition to signing with the ARU (or otherwise being lost altogether to Australian Rugby), he dictates that he can join any of the Australian S14 franchises of his choosing then I would say the ARU are not in a position to dictate to him who he can play with.

Tough for the Reds but Barnes is probably tired of being a saviour and fair enough too.

[AndyS]

I think you'd be safe in saying that the ARU has no power whatsoever to dictate where a player plays; RUPA would have made sure of that.

[tic]

I'd say it'd be more likely to be a forward. Losing Sharpie would kill us, BamBam and Browny would be my other contenders for the crown.

ps Comisserations from me TOCC, I might give you shit about the Reds, but they have easily slotted in to second team status for me based upon the fact that they continue to be savaged by the mucky mucks!

Berrick will look crap in poofy blue!

Oh don't worry, that poofy blue will have a nice contrast of blood red when he plays against Qld at Suncorp next year. I want my ticket now.

This was a dog act by him - dragging it on for 4 months when he probably never intended staying. I have no doubt that the QRU did everything possible to keep him - this one is not their fault.

[Sheikh]

This news story in the West: http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=158903

I had to leave Reds: Barnes

A heart-to-heart with his gravely ill grandfather and a pressing need to leave the family nest were influential factors in Berrick Barnes’ shock decision to leave the Queensland Reds and link with the NSW Waratahs for the 2009 Super 14 season.

While Barnes on Wednesday conceded he’d grown increasingly frustrated with the Reds’ inability to climb out of the competition cellar, a simple desire to “grow up” and challenge himself were the chief reasons for his defection.

“I needed a spark up, probably, personally. I needed to get outside. I have lived in the womb there in Brisbane for a long time, and I have lived at home,” Barnes said after announcing he’d agreed to a one-season deal with another one-year option to join the Waratahs, in addition to re-signing with the Australian Rugby Union through to the 2011 World Cup.

“I have lived in my comfort zone, to be honest. I never really probably challenged that.

“This is going to be a bit of a test for me. It is nothing no-one hasn’t done before. I just have to grow up.”

Indeed, the classy midfield playmaker is not the first proud Queenslander to have joined the Reds’ arch-rivals.

Two-time World Cup winner Jason Little also made the controversial move late in his career.

“We’ve obviously known about Jason and we spoke about that in making this decision,” Barnes said.

“It’s ground that’s been trodden on before. I’m not the first one to do it, which is a positive thing.

“Obviously I was a bit younger than Jason when I did it and I hadn’t played a hundred games for Queensland either.”

Still, the 23-year-old had played 45 Super games for Queensland since debuting in 2006 after two seasons with the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL and grown to become one of the most important figures at the battling Reds.

The centre-five-eighth said the decision to walk away from his teammates - most particularly captain James Horwill and veteran hooker Sean Hardman - as well as the Reds’ loyal fans had left him feeling gutted.

It is also an absolutely crushing blow to the Reds, who were already reeling from losing Hugh McMeniman, their best forward, to Japan.

Barnes said he only decided to join the Waratahs on Saturday after spending last week facing some of life’s harsh realities at the hospital bedside of his grandfather and confidante Robin Shaw.

He had been expected to remain with the Reds, who had worked feverishly to keep their vice-captain in a prolonged negotiation process which started almost three months ago.

Queensland coach Phil Mooney was upset by his key player’s defection, especially after believing the QRU had met all of Barnes’ requests to remain.

“We certainly haven’t left any stone unturned. We worked very hard to keep him,” Mooney told AAP.

“But one thing about it, no-one is bigger than the team. We just have to concentrate on the players that want to be here.”

The loss of Barnes also puts a cloud over Reds strike weapon Digby Ioane’s retention, with NSW in the hunt to also sign the injured Test three-quarter.

While the Reds are staggering, the Waratahs’ nabbing of Barnes and the recruitment last week of Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell is ample compensation for the double-barrelled loss this month of Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu.
-----------------------------------------------

He's saying he wanted to leave his comfort zone. Wonder what his real reason is.

[Darren]

2010

You could always come over from the dark side...

The centre-five-eighth said the decision to walk away from his teammates - most particularly captain James Horwill and veteran hooker Sean Hardman - as well as the Reds’ loyal fans had left him feeling gutted.

Funny that - it'd be because you are gutless.

[AndyS]

Yes, that article highlights the need for a new smiley sneezing a "Bullshit!"