Gasnier Wallabies' top target: report

[NewsBot]

The Wallabies have targeted Australian rugby league Test centre Mark Gasnier as their big-money acquisition for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, a media report said on Sunday.{br}{br}View the Entire Article{br}

[Darren]

All the more reason we need an APC - we should NOT need to be getting players from League, there should be enough skilled players coming up through the union ranks to fill vacant positions!

Full article below:

Gasnier Wallabies' top target: report

The Wallabies have targeted Australian rugby league Test centre Mark Gasnier as their big-money acquisition for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, a media report said on Sunday.

The report said the Wallabies, who have endured one of their worst international seasons this year with five straight defeats, have launched top-secret $2 million plans to sign Australian rugby league's finest centre.

The report said the nephew of Australian rugby league great Reg Gasnier is the top target in Wallabies coach Eddie Jones' recruitment plans to rebuild the Wallabies and could earn almost $700,000 a season if he switches codes.

Gasnier's manager George Mimis said in The Sunday Telegraph that the St George Illawarra centre would seriously consider switching codes when the time was right.

"At this stage Mark is committed to his club's finals campaign and we have not advanced any thoughts on his future beyond his commitments to the Dragons which take him to the end of next season," Mimis said.

"He and I have discussed the prospect of playing rugby union at some stage in his career."

But Gasnier, shattered by his club's 20-12 loss to the Wests Tigers Saturday to bow out of the National Rugby League finals, said he had no knowledge of the rumoured deal.

"It's the first I have heard of it," he said.

"At the moment, I couldn't care less about a lot of things. We just lost a final, I don't care that much. I haven't even given it (his future) a thought."

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has confirmed the interest in Gasnier. "If he became available we'd certainly be interested in him," Jones said.

An Australian Rugby Union source told the newspaper: "It's just been informal at this stage, nothing formal. But the interest is there. He's right at the top of rugby league in his position and he'd definitely make it."

The Wallabies have struggled with quality centres this season, with Stirling Mortlock being rested from November's European tour and Jones tinkering with switching winger Lote Tuqiri into the midfield to partner Morgan Turinui.