Wallabies at budget prices

[travelling_gerry]

By Iain Payten

June 11, 2009 12:00am


HEAD to Concord Oval this weekend and you'll get three things: five grades, a steak sandwich and a million bucks worth of former NRL talent.
As the Wallabies finalise preparations for their first Test against Italy on Saturday, a few hours north Lote Tuqiri, Timana Tahu and a high-priced portfolio of Wallabies stars will be found in the far quieter surrounds of club rugby.

Unwanted by Test coach Robbie Deans this week, Tuqiri and Tahu are set to link up for their second appearance in three weeks for West Harbour and elsewhere Ryan Cross (Easts) and Phil Waugh (Sydney Uni) will also turn out for their clubs.
Instead of playing in front of 20,000-plus fans in Canberra, Tuqiri and Tahu will be the star attraction for several hundred fans - all at a cost to the ARU of over a combined million dollars in wages this year.

Reinforcing Robbie Deans' stance that reputations, paypackets and background mean nothing at the selection table, the return to suburban clubland by two players poached from league may make ARU paymasters squirm.

But, according to dual international Wendell Sailor, the uncomfortable culture shock of a return to club footy may also help Tuqiri and co come to grips with the reasons they're there - and not Canberra.

"I know one time when I was playing for the Wallabies I got dropped and had to play in front of 500 people for the Gold Coast Breakers,'' Sailor told Sky Sports Radio.

"We all like playing on big stages and in front of big crowds, so club rugby won't be too good for him (Tuqiri), with West Harbour. Sometimes you can get a bit complacent. He won't be complacent now.''

Tuqiri wasn't named in the West Harbour side yesterday but is expected to play. Up to 36 players with Super 14 experience will be dotted throughout Sydney's clubs, including nine from the Western Force.

Tuqiri's future has been the subject of much speculation in the past fortnight, with the NSW star being overlooked this week for the second consecutive Wallabies team.

But for Sailor and fellow dual international Michael O'Connor, those questioning Tuqiri's Test career are way off track.

"He is far from finished, Lote, no way,'' O'Connor said. "He is one of a number of players that could be playing. We are sort of flush in that wing position at the moment. I certainly think he will be back.''

Sailor agrees, and subscribes to the growing theory that as soon as Tuqiri is given a chance he will turn in an explosive performance Deans can't ignore thereafter. That could come as early as next week, in the second Test against Italy in Melbourne.

"He'll let Robbie Deans know why he is top dog,'' Sailor said. "If I know Lote Tuqiri he's a big competitor and a big-game player, and I'm pretty sure when the Wallabies play South Africa and the All Blacks you're going to need Lote Tuqiri there.

"The thing about the Wallabies at the moment is they have some fantastic young talent, Drew Mitchell, Lachlan Turner, James O'Connor. They haven't had that for a while, and that's why they bought a few league players. The big Fijian, he wouldn't be liking this.

"We all have egos. He will come back bigger and better.''

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001023,00.html

[shasta]

"We all like playing on big stages and in front of big crowds" - Wendell Sailor

]

None more than you Dell.

Got a feeling Dell might just be back in a Maroon jersey in a couple of weeks too. Surprisingly he likely won't be the oldest player either.

[jargan83]

First Dell is in the promo ads for the Barbarians test on Channel 7 last week, now they go to him for interviews?

]
Got a feeling Dell might just be back in a Maroon jersey in a couple of weeks too. Surprisingly he likely won't be the oldest player either.

He won't be far off thats for sure. Lucky for the Dragons we have a bye before the next origin game

[shasta]

First Dell is in the promo ads for the Barbarians test on Channel 7 last week, now they go to him for interviews?

Didn't see that ad. Now that's funny. But I doubt some around here would agree.

[jargan83]

AND you thought rugby league had problems?

Channel 7 has exposed Australian rugby union's identity crisis after using current St George Illawarra star Wendell Sailor to help promote this weekend's Wallabies v Barbarians match.

The former Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Origin hero has been paid to return to his union colours, in a bid to sell the sport's showcase match this Saturday night.

In the confused TV commercial aired last night, Sailor appears in his ARL Kangaroos uniform, arguing with a duplicate of himself, wearing his old Wallabies kit, about the merits of each game.

With exiled NRL player Sonny Bill Williams promoted as the contest's returning villain, league rather than union personalities take centre stage.

But after being plagued by negative headlines in recent weeks, league bosses yesterday were flattered, if a little curious, at the use of their stars to sell the rival code.

"We certainly wouldn't use rugby union players to promote our game," NRL boss David Gallop said diplomatically.

ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said the marketing direction was "certainly a little strange".

"It shows a lack of confidence in their own star players if they're using ours to promote their game."

The use of the ARL uniform and Sailor's appearance for a rival sport are both breaches under copyright and league by-laws, but Gallop said his code "would not jump up and down about it".

While Sailor has no deal with league broadcaster Channel 9, his appearance for Seven will also almost certainly peeve producers of Nine's The Footy Show, who have given the controversial player increasing air time in the absence of Matthew Johns.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...016551,00.html

[shasta]

I'm not saying any more. I think we've already upset that tetchy moderator in the another thread.

[Darren]

just watch out for the edgy administrator ....

[James]

Makes sense really. I mean Union fans will already know about the Barbarians game through friends or papers or internet or whatever. But if you want to make League fans come to the game you have to make them pay attention to it and if they see Wendell Sailor they will read/listen to whatever he says (God knows why but thats League for you). ARU's attempts to win over a few more supporters and sell out the game. Better than doing nothing I suppose.

[Thequeerone]

yeah but why League - why not an AFL personnae - now that would be marketing - certainly Barra's gruding comments on Drew all season "Now that issss a mark" would appeal to a far wider audience.

Will leave Jargs to come up with a cricketing angle - from what I've seen their balls are tooooooo small.

[jargan83]

Will leave Jargs to come up with a cricketing angle - from what I've seen their balls are tooooooo small.

I don't think I can answer that without sounding suss

[shasta]

if they see Wendell Sailor they will read/listen to whatever he says (God knows why but thats League for you).

Could be that they have no preconceptions or prejudices about him. But more likely because he's one of the best performed RL players of the past two decades and is quite good in front of a camera.

[jargan83]

Dell does love the cameras
Posted via Mobile Device

[normie]

Pointless preaching to the converted. Nothing like a bit of cross dressing to get people interested.

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------

But getting back to the orginal topic, would be nice to see the same in Perth.

[Burgs]

Makes sense really. I mean Union fans will already know about the Barbarians game through friends or papers or internet or whatever. But if you want to make League fans come to the game you have to make them pay attention to it and if they see Wendell Sailor they will read/listen to whatever he says (God knows why but thats League for you). ARU's attempts to win over a few more supporters and sell out the game. Better than doing nothing I suppose.

Seemed to work, there was no shortage of dipsticks booing SBW every time the ball got near him.

[shasta]

Seemed to work, there was no shortage of dipsticks booing SBW every time the ball got near him.

Bloody Tah Patrol. They're a disgrace. No doubt all the "real" rugby fans were cheering him on deliriously.