Brumbies shore up squad

Brumbies shore up squad

By Peter Kogoy, The Australian
April 04, 2007

LAURIE Fisher's squad is taking a strong shape with the Brumbies set to sign Josh Holmes and three Australia players to long-term deals.
And with Australia halfback George Gregan poised to see out his playing days at Toulon in the south of France, the Canberra-based team has grabbed Josh Holmes, one of the stars to have emerged from the Waratahs Academy.

Holmes is expected to be named today and earn his first run-on start for New South Wales Waratahs against his future employer on Sunday.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan yesterday confirmed the club had also tabled vastly improved, ARU-backed offers to Clyde Rathbone, Mark Gerrard and Mark Chisholm that will keep the trio in Canberra until 2010.

"Holmes has agreed in principle to a contract to play in Canberra for two years from next season," Fagan said.

As for Holmes, he said he's not looking further in his career than the Easter Sunday match at Canberra Stadium.

Holmes gets his chance at the expense of injured halfback Brett Sheehan, who is set to miss three weeks with a rib injury he aggravated against the Crusaders last Saturday.

"All I'm looking forward to is the opportunity to get some game time," Holmes said.

He conceded the lack of game time at the Waratahs, playing behind Sheehan and Josh Valentine, was frustrating.

Fagan will talk to Chisholm and his manager Peter Rogers today about the offer.

"Chisholm has provided every indication to us that he's very comfortable here and all things being equal he isn't looking to go anywhere," Fagan said.

"I'm working to ensure that we can keep the apples to apples comparison on the table."

Fearful of a Western Force raid like the one that lured Wallabies star Matt Giteau from the Brumbies last year, using lucrative third-party sponsorship to capture his signature, Fagan said he was confident all three established players would stay put.

Fagan said it was essential the Australian Rugby Union policed any potential breaches of the rule that bans provinces from seeking out third-party agreements for marquee players, leaving it to the players' managers.

"We've got some protocols in place and they strictly forbid provinces using third-party support to induce a player to either remain with a province or to move from one province to another," Fagan said.

With Chisholm expected to sign as early as today, Fagan said talks with the managers of Wallabies wingers Gerrard and Rathbone were progressing nicely.

Fagan said he expected Gerrard to sign a three-year deal by the end of the week after the ARU had tabled him a new offer.

Gerrard had voiced his displeasure at an earlier downgraded offer from the ARU.

"We're certainly nearing the final stages of that negotiation," Fagan said.

"There's just a few small details that we're trying to sort out out and I'd expect that we should be able to do before the Waratahs game on Sunday."

Fagan was also confident of Rathbone accepting a new deal.