Force wants Super Rugby draft

[wholetruth]

Nick Taylor The West Australian
September 5, 2014, 7:03 am

Western Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry has called for the Australian Rugby Union to introduce a draft system across its five Super Rugby franchises.

His call comes in the wake of the ARU's financial help to Queensland to sign code-hopper Karmichael Hunt while not being able to offer enough to help the Force keep cult figure Nick Cummins.

Hunt is reportedly being paid $600,000 a year.

Cummins, who was not on the ARU's top pay scale, is understood to have doubled his $350,000 annual salary in the move to Coca-Cola Red Sparks in Japan.

The ARU helped secure Hunt after months of indicating it would not top up any offer for the former AFL and NRL player to join the Reds.

Australian Super franchises have a $4.5 million salary cap but because of the ARU top-up system, franchises like NSW and Queensland are able to spend 40-50 per cent more than the Force.

"History says we have not had this kind of help. Although there is a salary cap, there is not a salary cap," Sinderberry said.

"The current system does not promote a level playing field. There is enormous discrepancy in the effective spending capability of sides."

The Force will again seek clarification on ARU recruitment and retention policies from chief executive Bill Pulver while he is in Perth for the Mandela Challenge Plate Test against South Africa at Patersons Stadium tomorrow.

"We are unsure how the ARU prioritise the keeping of Nick Cummins and the signing of Karmichael Hunt," Sinderberry said. "We are not sure how these decisions are being made. We are trying to understand their strategy.

"We want the strongest competition in the world, not one where the teams are the strongest. The value is where there is unpredictability about who is going to win at the end of the season.

"Rugby has got to find a way to equalise the Super Rugby opportunities of all sides while at the same time being able to take advantage of opportunities like (Israel) Folau and now Hunt.

"Ultimately you have to start with a draft."

The Force get dispensation for eight overseas players but they must be paid for under the salary cap.

Meanwhile, Force captain Matt Hodgson is looking forward to playing in Wallaby colours in front of his home crowd for the first time on Saturday. Hodgson and Force teammate prop Pek Cowan are on the reserves bench.

Hodgson is still hoping for further international honours but said his first priority was another improved season with the Force.

[The InnFORCEr]

Give em hell Sinders

[jargan83]

We don't need a draft.

We need the top up system scrapped and the money given to the states to raise the salary cap. Increase match payments for Wallabies if needed as well. Then not only will we have an even playing field between the Rugby franchises in Australia but we may be able to retain some of the juniors who bugger off to Rugby League because they can earn a decent quid a lot earlier then they can in Super Rugby.

Of course none of this will happen because the players won't want a bar of it as some of them are already on a good wicket.

Has worked very successfully in the NRL

There is no draft in the NRL

[Alison]

Up the guts and into 'em Sinders!!!!

He certainly speaks for me! The system is so tainted and biased it's almost corrupt in my view!

[beige]

I'm not a fan of a draft system - it's the top-ups that are the problem. Maybe a limited draft like they have in NZ to stop teams hoarding talent but that's it.

But otherwise, yes, give 'em hell!

[Invictus]

Interesting. Sinderberry is smart enough to know that "draft" is a suicidal term in Australian Rugby politics (just wait until rupa gets wind of it). So I'm guessing that it isn't really what he is after but that he is using it as a blunt instrument to get peoples attention.

[GIGS20]

I'm not a fan of a draft system - it's the top-ups that are the problem. Maybe a limited draft like they have in NZ to stop teams hoarding talent but that's it.

But otherwise, yes, give 'em hell!

Yeah I think a system like UnZud would be pretty good, something like you name the first 23 every year and after that the players are free agents, however that would spell the end of multi-year contracts in most cases. It would certainly work on the glut of bench riding, suit wearing Wallabies at the Tahs.

My example, they would need to decide whether they want Andrew Kellaway more than they want Peter Betham.....thus making the second one available for another team to pick up and have him start a game. It ends up better for the player, who will get more exposure and better for Australian Rugby, because the number of good players running around each week is increased. It would be worse for the Tahs (and to a lesser extend Queensland) so it'll never make it through the ARU HPU, which seems to automatically roll over when the Tahs call.

[Tazzmania]

Give em hell Sinders

We have finally found a CEO not scared to speak his mind and tell it like it is.

The longer he stays here the more a like him.

[valzc]

Goodonya Mark Sinderberry - make Pulver please explain!

[Tonkar]

I been say this for ages and knew HB got the raw end of the prawn and as I said b4 ARU is eastern states corrupt when you see the total salary of QLD reds and NSW tards on paper you would be shocked... Just 5 reds players now command over $3 million of there match payments when you add the ARU top up so if they lost ARU top ups that would mean that 27 players would divide the rest $1.5 mil equals $55,000 each and I am sure some would leave if paid that..
Go For it Sinders

[shasta]

One of the recently failed labor governments said the ARU would have funding pulled due to the out-dated and unfair governance it runs. Anyone know where that's at? Not likely to get a run now anyway, with at least 3 ex-Sydney Uni players sitting on the front bench in Canberra, including the one at the front.

[hertryk]

Love that Sinderberry! Give 'em heaps! They need to explain themselves!

[SNOB]

I remember Will Carling commenting, back in 1995/96 about the IRB being run by "a bunch of old farts". Well nearly 20 years later and here in Australia the same could be said.
It's time to change! We have to move on forget the past a run the ARU as business not " an old boys club".
Go Sinders you tell them and let's hope!

[shasta]

Is a more equitable contracting system looking a little more likely?...........

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...11-10fi6r.html

[jargan83]

A first-contract draft system, where a pool of the country's emerging players would be distributed between the five franchises on, for example, two-year contracts, would be a central plank of any strategy, as would a salary cap, which the ARU has set at $4.5 million.

So what's to stop the players going back to NSW for example once their two year first contract is concluded?

If the ARU are serious about this they will have to completely change the system of contracting that is currently in place. Will a trade system be bought in like in AFL or maybe a transfer fee like in the EPL if a player is on contract or in the case of the AFL not qualified as a free agent (players aren't free agent until I think they have played for a club for 6-8 years). The only way they can get to another club if there is not trade is via the pre-season draft if a trade is not agreed to.

A draft isn't a magic fix either, just look at Melbourne in the AFL who despite having a number of high level draft picks have been a basket case since 2008.

If Australia were to move to a more regulated system such as the one used by the New Zealand Rugby Union, the ARU would have the power to influence where nationally contracted players ply their trade.

Can't see the players union agreeing to this. A player could argue that it is a restraint of trade to avoid going somewhere they don't see as desirable.

Cheika said he was opposed to any move in that direction, and his concerns are most likely echoed by the Reds who, along with NSW, spend the most money on development in the country's two main rugby breeding grounds.

This is important because why would a state invest in junior programmes when they aren't going to reap the reward of having the player play for them. The ARU would have to stump up some more cash for junior development if they want a draft.