League anger at rugby's 'raid'
I don't actually remember them officially approaching Bowen & Thurston???
Getting a little precious I think, there isn't actually that many players involved in going either way.
If you take out the Leaguies who initiate it with no plans to actually try Union and just are looking to up there contract then there is really no numbers to speak of since Lote/Rogers/Sailor came across.
League anger at rugby's 'raid'
By Karl deKroo and Mike Colman
February 24, 2007
NORTH Queensland chief executive Peter Parr last night sent a firm "hands off" message to Queensland Reds as they move ahead with plans to sign Cowboys back rower Luke O'Donnell.
Parr said he was "sick and tired" of league's best players being linked to a possible code switch and said the Australian Rugby Union would be better served channelling its funds into development programs.
"I think everyone is a bit tired of this constant sniping at our players from rugby union," Parr said.
"For us it has been three years in a row now that we have had a player supposedly in their sights.
"First it was Matt Bowen, then Johnathan Thurston and now Luke O'Donnell. A lot of other clubs have had to put up with it as well, and it just makes you wonder if rugby union actually has any of its own players they are looking to develop.
"We keep hearing about how cashed up they are, well you'd think they'd get better value from trying to put some programs in place to develop talent rather than trying to constantly raid our ranks."
O'Donnell heads a long list of quality players coming off contract in the NRL this season with Brisbane's Brent Tate another to have been linked to rugby union.
Reds coach Eddie Jones yesterday said Queensland's interest in O'Donnell was genuine and said he was encouraged by a meeting with O'Donnell's manager Wayne Beavis on Thursday.
"We are very serious about Luke in terms of wanting to continue negotiations," he said.
"If he is interested in coming to the Reds that would be fantastic."
Rugby has no official salary cap, with provinces paying players up to $170,000 a season and the ARU topping up the salaries of potential Wallabies.
The Cowboys hope to re-sign O'Donnell before the start of the NRL season. Parr said he didn't expect negotiations to be influenced by the rugby threat. "I don't think this one is serious," Parr said.
"I have spoken to Wayne Beavis this morning and he has admitted it is a remote chance at best.
"I just hope a guy like Luke O'Donnell, if he is having those thoughts, has a look at that game between the Brumbies and the Reds last week (the lowest scoring in Super rugby history). Because surely that would extinguish any enthusiasm you had for playing that game.
"In the end I don't think there has been one player who has gone across to rugby where money hasn't been the primary motivation and now most of those guys are on the way back."
