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Reds re-sign Australia props
May 18, 2007
EMBATTLED Queensland is celebrating its biggest victory of a forgettable season after Australia front rowers Stephen Moore and Greg Holmes jointly agreed to stay with the Reds.
The pair will both put pen to paper in the coming days after deciding together to stick with the Super 14 wooden spooner.
The World Cup starting prospects are among Queensland's leading lights and their new deals have made worried Reds officials incredibly relieved.
If Moore, 24, and Holmes, 23, walked then the part-completed picture of a much rosier future would have come crashing down and it would have almost certainly cost coach Eddie Jones his job.
But their retention has meant the Reds, who won just two matches this season, have kept all their young, rising Wallabies forwards except for flanker Mitchell Chapman (Brumbies).
Jones is among many good judges who believe Moore, Holmes, Rodney Blake, Hugh McMeniman and James Horwill are the Wallabies likely 2011 World Cup tight-five.
Hooker Moore revealed he wanted to sign early next week to get any distractions out of the way before the first Test of the season against Wales on Saturday week.
He will be announced as the Wallabies starting rake on Sunday after impressing during a three-day training camp in Sydney.
Chased by clubs in Ireland and France, Moore admitted the time in camp had reinforced his desire to play Test rugby which boosted the Reds hopes.
It's understood injured prop Holmes followed the lead of his long-time teammate.
The pair, who have come through the junior and senior grades together and share the same player manager, conferred regularly and Moore confirmed the likelihood of a joint call before it was made late today.
"At the end of the day that's why you play rugby, with your mates and we've grown up together playing together and I guess we want to stick together in all cases," he said.
"It's important that we know what each other are doing and if possible stick together."
Moore only today gave up on moves by Western Force to be legally allowed to make a late bid for his services.
Force originally missed the contracting window to lodge an offer for Moore and had a request for leniency knocked back by the Australian Rugby Union after losing 2003 World Cup hooker Brendan Cannon to a career-ending injury.
The Rugby Union Players Association had taken up the case on behalf of Moore who also met with ARU officials who stood firm this week.
Moore denied a QRU decision to keep or cut Jones was a factor in his decision.
He was more concerned the province is properly pinpointing the exact problems and rectifying them to ensure the base is built for a winning team.
"It's no fun losing and when you lose games it tends to accentuate problems and you start looking for problems which may not be an issue if you are winning," he said.
"It magnifies problems. It's not all doom and gloom. Things can turn around quite quickly."
QRU chief executive Ken Freer's post-season review is due to go before the board next week at a meeting which could hold the fate of Jones.
AAP
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Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
