Terms of Reference for a Senate Inquiry into the Future of Rugby Union in Australia

[Perth Girl]

Michael and I will be there!

[Bakkies]

So we can put the ARU into the Arena and then send in the lions?!

Just bring it!

[Bakkies]

Yup that is correct

Don't forget that the Rebels were ALSO granted TEN "marquee" spots, where only the first $100k of the player payment was considered in the salary cap...thus Cipriani, Delve, etc while Beale and Judas were top ups. We had Brain-dead Dick, so a fair exchange

I posted a while back about what the Brumbies do to get top ups. It's not to do with recruiting ready made stars. That mistake was made in 2010-11 and the Brumbies have gone back to what works. Those players were cleaned out along with Elsom, AAC, Smith and Giteau moving on. It was the end of the RWC cycle however more players stayed on due to the Lions tour. A raft of Wallabies left than and the players that Jake White recruited (most had little to no Super Rugby experience) of blooded from within to replace the exodus from 2011. A lot of those players had just got capped and there were opportunities to get top ups due to the players leaving after the Lions Tour. Than you have the likes of O'Connor acting like a div which a spare ARU contract.

The Force were starting to do that this year with the likes of Hardwick and Rona getting caps. Hardwick will be hitting his prime by the time Pocock finishes up (likely to be 2019). Meakes and Ross Haylett Petty aren't too far off either. Both play in problem positions which creates an opportunity to get a future top up.

Coleman is likely to get a top up when he signs on.

It's about having a Rugby program to attract players, develop what you have and players perform to get in to the test squad. Then keep them. That's what gets players on to top ups. The Rebels simply don't get that. If they recruited properly from day one rather than signing on several imports and locals that belonged at a Dad's Army audition they would have a better chance of getting players on to top ups. They also had too many fullbacks.

[Greydemon]

I'll be there again, this time joined by LadyDemon. Best entertainment in town and another excuse to wear the blue and black.

[valzc]

I posted a while back about what the Brumbies do to get top ups. It's not to do with recruiting ready made stars. That mistake was made in 2010-11 and the Brumbies have gone back to what works. Those players were cleaned out along with Elsom, AAC, Smith and Giteau moving on. It was the end of the RWC cycle however more players stayed on due to the Lions tour. A raft of Wallabies left than and the players that Jake White recruited (most had little to no Super Rugby experience) of blooded from within to replace the exodus from 2011. A lot of those players had just got capped and there were opportunities to get top ups due to the players leaving after the Lions Tour. Than you have the likes of O'Connor acting like a div which a spare ARU contract.

The Force were starting to do that this year with the likes of Hardwick and Rona getting caps. Hardwick will be hitting his prime by the time Pocock finishes up (likely to be 2019). Meakes and Ross Haylett Petty aren't too far off either. Both play in problem positions which creates an opportunity to get a future top up.

Coleman is likely to get a top up when he signs on.

It's about having a Rugby program to attract players, develop what you have and players perform to get in to the test squad. Then keep them. That's what gets players on to top ups. The Rebels simply don't get that. If they recruited properly from day one rather than signing on several imports and locals that belonged at a Dad's Army audition they would have a better chance of getting players on to top ups. They also had too many fullbacks.

True the Rebels don't get it - if anything it was a chance now for them to rebuild the team, but instead they're taking yet another dumb shortcut thinking they're being clever by poaching Force a la 'instant team'. But I doubt whether the Force guys will ever really have any true commitment to a club which has gone about this as deviously and corruptly as they have. The bond the Force guys have built got them through this shitfest, and we may lose some to the 'dark side', but inherently I hope 'our' boys will stay true to the Force culture and we'll see most of them back next year when the Rebs close up shop or get foreclosed!

[The InnFORCEr]

They've hired a bigger place!


Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, 707 Wellington Street, Perth (Fremantle ballroom)

Still no start time as yet.

I'll be there

[Transiting]

I went on green and gold and found someone had posted these figures for the wallaby top ups. If they are accurate it shows the disparity in the fairness of the teams spread across Australian super rugby.

SALARY CAP : $5 MILLION

extra over and above top up payments:

Tahs: $2.60 m
Brum: $1.30 m
Reds: $1.05 m
Force $270 k
Rebs: $120 k
-------------
TOTAL $5.34 m

So really the tahs have a $7.6mill cap
Reds have a $6mill cap
Brumbies have a $6.3mill cap

Rebels and Force despite having more grass root participants than the Brumbies have a $5.2mill cap.

What a joke.

Then multiple this over the past five years or so!

[hertryk]

Hey jo you have been relegated to manhood. ��

Welllll not the last time I was able to look

[hertryk]

They've hired a bigger place!


Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, 707 Wellington Street, Perth (Fremantle ballroom)

Still no start time as yet.

Alison want to meet for a coffee before the hearing?

[JSJ]

I just read the submission that obviously came from a TWFer or TWFers. Great effort by person or persons involved. I think you have nailed it and hopefully nailed the ARU.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...on/Submissions

If you want to read it , just tick the box next to number 4 and hit the DownLoad Submission.
I cannot get at the other 2.

[andrewM]

I'd read the drafts, first time I have read the submission in its entirety. Good work Mr S Squirrel

[Jules]

That was an impressive submission and just highlights how unfair this whole thing is!!😳

[sittingbison]

Yes, a very professional submission, covering most points of the "deceptive etc" argument. Noyce

Of interest to me is how could one side of a contractual partnership, new owner of the Western Force, employer of staff and players, and receiving the hard earned of the members, seek legal advice to remove a team (Force), engage in discussions with SANZAAR to remove the Force, engage in negotiations to remove the Force through the only mechanism available (a renegotiated TV deal only one year into a five year contract), and vote on it all in Londinium, all without a single mention of said proceedings to RugbyWA, employees or members. And then reneg on selling back the license which we were told was part of the Alliance Agreement.

They were very happy to accept my money all the while knowing the team I supported since inception was destined for the chop.

[Darren]

I just read the submission that obviously came from a TWFer or TWFers. Great effort by person or persons involved. I think you have nailed it and hopefully nailed the ARU.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...on/Submissions

If you want to read it , just tick the box next to number 4 and hit the DownLoad Submission.
I cannot get at the other 2.

Attached here for convenience and posterity...

[Sheikh]

In my (very unlegal) opinion, having the ARU lawyers advise Geoff Stooke (links to the Force) to recuse himself from discussions on removal of a team while Rob Clarke (links to the Rebels) wasn't recused points to there being no thought from the ARU that the Rebels were ever in danger of being cut - it was always the Force in the ARU's sights (which we know anyway!)