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Wayne Smith | June 09, 2009
Article from: The Australian
WALLABIES prop Matt Dunning admits he still is not sure what decision he will make today when he is forced to choose between moving to the Western Force or remaining with the Waratahs.
The Western Force has placed a deadline of close of business today on Dunning's decision, but the 43-Test prop said last night he would not make up his mind until he had spoken to his family and other advisers.
"I'll weigh up both offers when I have them both in front of me, which I don't yet," Dunning said. "Well, I've had both offers in front of me but I've asked for a couple of changes."
The 30-year-old veteran, arguably the only Test-standard prop in the country who genuinely can play both sides of the scrum, admitted the fact that he is teetering on 99 caps for the Waratahs would be a factor in his decision.
"It's only a figure, but it's still 99," he said. "But I would be silly to base my decision on wanting to bring up my century. Once you've played that game, you've still got two years of your contract to see out."
As loyal a Waratah as Dunning is, he realises that with Test props Al Baxter, Benn Robinson and Sekope Kepu and rising Wallaby-in-the-making Dan Palmer on the NSW books, he will be battling to get consistent game time next season.
The Force, by contrast, has guaranteed him regular starts, even after having also signed tighthead Tim Fairbrother from the Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, the Force has had to move on to Plan C in its hunt for a quality five-eighth. Plan A obviously was to retain Matt Giteau but when he decided to return to Canberra, the Perth club's focus swung on to Springboks and Stormers playmaker Peter Grant.
But confirmation from Grant that he has decided to take a big-money offer from Racing Club de Paris has activated a new strategy, to target Lions goalkicking five-eighth Andre Pretorius.
The 30-year-old former Springbok Test playmaker was contacted over the weekend, with Force chief executive Vern Reid hopeful the man who engineered South African Test victories over the All Blacks at Newlands in 2005 and Rustenburg in 2006 and England at Twickenham later that year will seriously consider a move to Perth.
It's safe to say Force officials are becoming edgy about securing a world-class five-eighth because the success or failure of their search almost certainly will decide whether teenage Test sensation James O'Connor will stay with the club.
Force officials gave O'Connor's parents an undertaking recently that they would not overburden their son with too much responsibility if he remained at the club -- which translates to finding a quality playmaker for him to partner until he feels comfortable about stepping into that role himself.
The Force is continuing to recruit on other fronts, with offers being made to Sydney University centre Mitch Inman and Australian Under 20 second-rower Tony Douglas.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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Originally Posted by mudskipper
