_Wallabies signing bonanza looms with key men locked down as RA's new contracting mod

Story by Christy Doran • Yesterday 3:00 am



Some of the Wallabies’ biggest headline acts will put pen to paper over the coming days, as Rugby Australia puts their proposed contracting model to the side to secure the futures of their stars.

Up to a dozen players are likely to be signed before the new year, with Brumbies captain and Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa, who captained Australia against Italy in November, moving closer to a deal that will secure his services until at least the British and Irish Lions in 2025.

Alaalatoa’s retention shapes a significant boost for the Wallabies’ long-term strategic planning, with the experienced prop a strong candidate to captain the team permanently in the future.

Allan Alaalatoa, who captained the Wallabies against Italy, is moving closer to a long-term deal with Rugby Australia. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Fellow front-rower Angus Bell, 22, is another inching closer to a long-term deal. As is Rebels forward Rob Leota, who is set to sign through until the Lions series.

Reds duo Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott are others who look set to sign through until the Lions series.

The signing bonanza comes as RA accepts its proposed contracting model is losing momentum and, as such, intends on putting in a clause to allow players to sign under the current model and move to the proposed model should they eventually get it across the line.

“It [the proposed contracting model] sort of stalled, but I think it’s now back into ‘let’s just get deals done under the current model’, and that’s the most important thing,” one source said.

Andy Marinos has been attempting to usher through change in the contracting model. Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

All year RA has been working towards a new contracting model, which will allow the governing body more control over its players of national interest and, at the same time, even the talent pool across each of its five franchises.

Should RA get its proposed model off the ground, approximately 35 players would sign deals with the governing body and not with the respective franchises.

By doing so, it would open the possibility of players being allowed to choose where they want to play at a later date.

RA would also have a greater say in advocating for a certain franchise should one franchise be stacked in a position and another lean in an area.

But with all the stakeholders eagerly awaiting news of the much-talked-about private equity deal, which could pump anywhere from $100-200 million into the game depending on whether they venture down that route now and/or how much the governing body decides on selling off, all parties have been at a standstill.

In addition, the Brumbies, Reds and Waratahs particularly have raised reasonable questions of how they would be adequately compensated for losing homegrown talent and whether the governing body is best placed to make judgement calls on where players are best suited.

As one source said, “The clubs pushed back hard.”

“I don’t think RA was trying to achieve that,” he added.

Another said: “To be honest, there’s not much difference in the contracting model.

“It’s more about how you look at the value of nationally contracted players. That’s the reality.

“At the end of the day, there’s still a salary cap, it’s just about trying to make it fairer and reducing the salary cap for teams that have got exceptionally high numbers of Wallabies compared to the Force and Rebels. That’s the major difference.

“Fundamentally it’s not that far from where we are now. It’s about keeping the players for longer in Australia.”

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