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By Bret Harris
June 30, 2009 Wallabies inside-centre Berrick Barnes has urged Queensland Reds to act "quick smart" in filling key coach and management positions as he weighs up whether to re-sign with the struggling Super 14 team.
Barnes has indicated a strong desire to stay with the Reds, but he also wants some assurances that the organisation is moving forward.
Forward coach Mark Bell and team manager Brendan Morris have been let go, while high performance manager Ben Whitaker resigned in protest.
"I want to see what's going on in terms of coaching," said Barnes, who has returned to Brisbane after the Wallabies' 22-6 win against France in Sydney on Saturday night. "There are still a lot of decisions to be made there. There has to be some action quick smart there. I'd obviously like to see some movement there and pretty quickly.
"I don't really want to leave Queensland, that's for sure. I'm pretty loyal. I love the place. My family is there too ... But I want to know next year I won't be pulling my hair out and I want to see us moving forward.
"The players who have been there through the tough times, we definitely want to be there to reap the rewards.
"I want something we believe in. Obviously, in the direction they are going and what (coach) Phil (Mooney) wants. We just want to be able to believe wholeheartedly in it and be able to make a push for it next year."
Barnes said the key issue for the Reds was the retention and recruitment of players.
"It's something that has been lacking for five or six years, when our crop of great players left the organisation," he said.
Barnes, who has been linked with the Brumbies, said a move was unlikely. "I don't think so at this stage," Barnes said. "They are Real Madrid down there. They've got a great set-up and a good boss in Fages (CEO Andrew Fagan) running the joint. They are going to be definite title contenders next year.
"It's important I look at Queensland first and get to where we want to be."
There is also speculation that French clubs are interested in Barnes, which is a move he would be interested in making later in his career.
"There is always going to be talk overseas around contract time," Barnes said.
"That will definitely be an option for me one day. I do love France.
"Whether that's now, I don't think so. I'm enjoying the environment I'm in at the moment. It's the most fun I've had playing rugby for a long time. It's nice to be in a winning dressing shed on the odd occasion."
Meanwhile, QRU chairman Peter Lewis will seek compensation from rival Super 14 teams that poach young Queensland talent. Lewis said Queensland and NSW made a significant investment in producing the majority of players for Australia's four Super rugby teams. "We put $20,000 to $30,000 into those kids," Lewis said. "At the very least we'd like the cash component back.
"We are the first to acknowledge we can't keep everyone. Two states are producing the players for four teams, soon to be five. It's only going to get worse.
"There has to be some acknowledgement of the production line."
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan ridiculed Lewis's proposal. "NSW and Queensland are at a distinct advantage," Fagan said. "They are the two most populous states and they are in the best position to pick and choose talent in their own systems.
"To suggest they need to be compensated ... they need to look internally why they are not retaining people in their own backyard."
Fagan said the ARU recognised the role of NSW and Queensland as nurseries by providing the two states with a combined $2.3 million in premier rugby funding.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html
This biggest factor for me is in Barnes' quotes, which underlines the importance of the ARU sticking to its guns re Wallaby elligability.
If Barnes could be assured of equal treatment at the Wallaby selection table he would be in France next year, lost to S14.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Meanwhile, QRU chairman Peter Lewis will seek compensation from rival Super 14 teams that poach young Queensland talent. Lewis said Queensland and NSW made a significant investment in producing the majority of players for Australia's four Super rugby teams. "We put $20,000 to $30,000 into those kids," Lewis said. "At the very least we'd like the cash component back.
I dont think this is a bad idea especially considering that if the EWF did put money in it would end up back in the coffers to help produce the next batch of exciting young players.
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
But the kicker is
"NSW and Qld are provided with a combined $2.3 million in premier rugby funding"
Can't have your cake and eat it.
So get them to choose, they can take their $2.3 million funding or they can take $30,000 per player and the funding distributed equally amongst ALL states (not just those with a S14 team. That way WA can be compensated for the juniors they lose to other provinces as can Victoria NT and SA......Possibly a sliding scale, determined by the ARU for transfer between provinces based upon a player's age, or experience with the province would be the way to go.
if Qld take that tack, they'd need to provide 77 juniors a year to super 14 teams in other provinces (because they don't pay for their own obviously) to match the funding.......I really don't think that's happening on a regular basis, they contribute a lot, but 77 per year?
Keep the 2.3 million and be happy with it!![]()
C'mon the![]()
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But if they do that who are they going to blame when they chump things up again? What QLD rugby needs is a completely new board. If QLD doesn't turn things around by next year and at least stay out of the bottom 4 then they haven't really achieved anything in the last 6 years.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
The Reds will win it next year. You heard it here first![]()
Queensland Rugby is the land of has been miss management, missed opportunities and regrets. QLD has a abundance of talent which chooses to leave. When will the QLD rugby community ask Peter Lewis to step down along his failed fraternity? New start from the top down is what is needed in QLD.
Just to remind people, Queensland Rugby Union Chairman Peter Lewis is the same joker that backed shock jock radio announcer Alan Jones to make a come back and coach the Wallabies in preference to all the other candidates including Robbie Deans…
Berrick Barnes shouldn't have to go to the Brumbies to further his career, he should able to do it at the Reds...
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html
Well you have to hand it to Barnes for being honest and up front about his position.
Just happy to be here
Peter Lewis is actually a very good administrator and most of the structural changes at board level happened a few years ago. The current plight is still a hangover from mis-administration a few years ago. These changes take time to work through the system.
Assuming Barnes stays (as I'm sure he will), who have Qld lost? McMeniman. That's all. In fact player retention has been excellent since Phil Mooney arrived on the scene. External recruitment is still a problem due to poor results. A decent season and that changes.
Don't get too excited by thinking that you can dance on the Reds grave. The team is over 100 years old - it will bounce back.