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Brumbies join race for Scott Staniforth
- Wayne Smith
- From: The Australian
- April 03, 2010 12:00AM
HE might be 32 and seemingly was on the scrapheap only a few months ago but former Wallabies winger Scott Staniforth refuses to go away, with the Brumbies now considering making him an offer.
Staniforth appeared to have run out of options when his club, Yokogawa, folded as a professional outfit in February, after failing in its attempt to win promotion to the Japanese Top League. But happily for the winger, Yokogawa's demise coincided with the Western Force's catastrophic early-season spate of injuries and he was granted a four-match contract -- since renewed - to rejoin the Perth club.
Since then, he has been a revelation, quickly establishing himself as one of the most consistent players in the Force side. He may not be the most exciting winger in the Super 14 - though he may well still be one of the quickest judging by the way he almost overhauled a runaway Digby Ioane in the Reds game - but he can be relied upon for a seven-out-of-10 performance every week.
The Force has offered him a contract for next season and it was assumed that because he owns a house in Perth he would accept it.
But Staniforth has told The Weekend Australian he is considering moving back to the east coast to be closer to family and is no certainty to remain with the Force, which he joined as a foundation player in 2005.
"I've been speaking to a couple of clubs on the east coast," said the 12-Test veteran who was a member of the 2007 World Cup squad.
Unbeknown to him, his manager has sounded out the Brumbies.
"He's a solid player and he certainly could be a possibility," Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said. "We'd be interested."
Force chief executive Vern Reid was surprised by the revelation the Brumbies also interest in Staniforth. "My understanding is that while we haven't actually signed a contract with Scott, we're very close," Reid said.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225849060316