Stapleton runs back to the Reds!

[no.8]

Maybe next year:
9. Yak 10. Hilly 11. Turbo 12. Spanner 13. Cracker 14. Pele
15. Zorro
20. Mcgrath 21. Sare 22. Mackay/Daruda?
We pick up one or new guys, but I reckon the windows closed given the Moore/Holmes attempt.

[AndyS]

I don't know, the balance at the moment doesn't feel quite right - too many 10s. Even if Hilgendorf reverts to a utility player role, you end up with four players and a utility covering the centres which is also too many. In practice, you'll have three with Staniforth and Hilgendorf sharing a wing and the bench.

Going down three levels and the disaster scenario

10 - McKay, Giteau, Daruda, Hilgendorf
11 - Mitchell, Shepherd, Hilgendorf, Staniforth
12 - Giteau, Staniforth, Pelesasa, Hilgendorf (?), Cross (?)
13 - Cross, Pelesasa, Staniforth, Sare (?)
14 - Staniforth, Sare, Hilgendorf, Cross (?)
15 - Shepherd, Mitchell, Hilgendorf, Daruda (?)

Very flexible, but you'd either need injuries or a rotational policy (and that would be very interesting) to avoid Staniforth, Hilgendorf and especially Daruda getting the hump big time. If you did get injuries though, it would be time to sweat - there would only be two backs left out of the 22 each week, so it would be thin. No question they're going to need additional players, but given the relative depth in the centres I'd be looking for a couple of young wingers - one already well on his way and one apprentice.

The big questionmark is over McKay - unless they were absolutely certain he was going to be fit next year, I'd let him go as they've got the coverage and it would improve Hilgendorf's lot.

[The InnFORCEr]

Fresh news at hand, and the type I would hope to be reporting.

The Reds want to sign Brett however he is contracted to The Force until the end of the year. In order to play in the APC he must have played a certain amount of club matches to qualify so is flying back to play with Gold Coast club this weekend.

His manager is desperatly trying to get hold of Mr O'Meara who is in a two day lock out at ARU HQ so that he can give approval for Brett to be released and sign with Reds.

Now it seems The Force may "out of spite" not release Brett and keep in here in WA and just paying him to train with a team he will never play with until the end of 2007. That would be sad.

Obviously if the Reds want to take over payment of his contract The Force would release him, but the Reds don't want to pay him out they just want to sign him.

Interesting stuff, I'm sure there will be more to this little saga...

[AndyS]

Sorry, so he is still here?? Why wouldn't he be playing for his local club then to meet the qualifying requirements? If he is not being played because he won't be around next year, then I hope the Force will just release him as no-one gains by having talented players sitting on the sidelines for the club season.

It will be interesting to see how the S14/ARC cross-over ends up working. My preference would be to leave it up to the player, so he could move lock-stock to Perth and play for the Spirit (probably most of the family men) or return home for the ARC (all the homesick kids). I don't think the latter would be a bad thing, as it would improve the development prospects for the local lads.

[The InnFORCEr]

Here until he flys on Thursday, back after the weekend.

My understanding is they have to play 6 matches for a "feeder" team of the ARC Club they play for.

[AndyS]

Ah ok...that feeder rule is going to make it tough. Presumably the lads off to Melbourne must have left already.

[travelling_gerry]

Maybe Queensland could get the Sydney Morning Herald and the ATO to co-sponsor a 3rd party agreement to get him back to Brisbane?

[The InnFORCEr]

Yes I "think" that's how it works....any experts on ARC qualification requirements????

[AndyS]

Wouldn't that be great, get the ATO to sponsor your team. No extra money, but you get cut some slack on your deductibles.

[Burgs]

The only eligability requirement I am aware of is being eligable to play for the Wallabies, the same as for Super14, however that may only be in the West too.
Haven't heard or read of any other requirement though I reckon it would make sense to have some where there are multi teams in a State (ie NSW & Qld).
We may find that anyone who has played Super 14 doesn't need the Club route, can't imagine David Croft turning out for Power House or Harlequin so as to Captain the Rebels?

[AndyS]

Still no luck finding eligibility criteria, but note that the EOI required players to nominate which teams they might play for - they arguably wouldn't have asked if the players were obliged to play in their catchment area.

Other things I didn't know though:

"The contracts will be renewable annually, in order to ensure that the best available players are selected each year." (pleased about that, as it is the most flexible approach to allow for S14 contracting)

and

"The Mazda ARC includes the provision for one "marquee" player per team who is not subject to the financial restrictions of the player contracting protocol, which means they can be paid more than the others.(up to what limit I wonder)

This player can either be a foreign player or a non-contracted (??) Australian player.

If a team nominates an Australian player as their marquee player, the team would still be able to sign up a foreign player, however that foreign player would have to fall within the contracting restrictions (because the marquee player has used the one-off exemption).(which are pretty modest for the moment)

This policy allows teams the flexibility to attract an additional big-name player, while not diminishing the opportunities for our own club players (a maximum of 8 positions out of 224 players would be available to foreign players = 3.5%).

The policy towards foreign players was widely discussed at the Cap Gemini workshop and has been agreed by the State Unions."

[The InnFORCEr]

The only eligability requirement I am aware of is being eligable to play for the Wallabies, the same as for Super14, however that may only be in the West too.
Haven't heard or read of any other requirement though I reckon it would make sense to have some where there are multi teams in a State (ie NSW & Qld).
We may find that anyone who has played Super 14 doesn't need the Club route, can't imagine David Croft turning out for Power House or Harlequin so as to Captain the Rebels?

That would be more like it Bugs, minimum 6 match S14 or Club prior to ARC.

[hamedog]

Scott Daruda lines up a conversion attempt


Daruda is a good player.

[frontrow]

that he is hamedog, welcome along mate...

[jazza93]

whats happend to stapleton, has anyone heard how he is going?

is he still playing rugby?