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I want out, says Paul
By Peter Jenkins
May 22, 2007 12:00
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
VETERAN hooker Jeremy Paul has accused Wallaby selectors of double standards as he fights to take up an English club offer before the World Cup.
Paul told The Daily Telegraph "I just want to move on with my life" after failing to make the 30-man squad for a two-Test series against Wales that opens in Sydney on Saturday night.
ARU bosses are refusing to grant Paul's request to join Gloucester mid-year, with coach John Connolly claiming the 72-Test veteran is still in the frame for the World Cup campaign in France in September.
But Paul, who stood down yesterday from the Australia A team to play Tonga at Aussie Stadium on Friday, is adamant he wants out before his contract expires at the end of the year.
"If I finished the Super 14 season the way I started, I would understand (being overlooked)," he said.
"My first six games this year were rubbish. But I don't think I could have played any better over the last half of the competition.
"At the end of the day, John talks about picking on form. Yet he's picked a captain (Phil Waugh) who has only played a couple of games all season. So where's the picking on form?
"You can pull the form card out when you want it, but it's pretty hard to take."
Paul denied his withdrawal from the Australia A squad was an open one-man boycott.
"I've got a bad shoulder at the moment," he said. "I was pretty happy to play injured for the Brumbies but not now. No more jabs."
But Paul said he had spoken to Connolly and explained his lack of desire to play Australia A.
"You play those games to get back into World Cup contention," Paul said. "Well, that sort of defeats the whole purpose of asking for a release.
"I just want to move on to the next chapter of my life. And this is not a knee-jerk reaction where I haven't been picked so I'm going to spit my dummy."
Australia's most capped hooker explained he set about searching for offshore options when initially overlooked for the Wallaby squad at the start of last year.
While he fought his way back to play all nine Tests before missing the end of season tour with a finger injury, Paul always intended to ask for an early release if he missed the Wallaby squad in the countdown to the World Cup.
Stephen Moore and Adam Freier were the two hookers preferred for the Welsh series.
"But Jeremy is still very much in World Cup reckoning," Connolly said. "Three hookers may well go to France and it's a very contentious position at the moment. We could also get an injury or two and that would change everything.
"If we do review Jeremy's position it would only be after the World Cup team is selected."
NSW goalkicker Peter Hewat last night confirmed his Australia A selection – he will start at fullback against Tonga – had not altered his stance on seeking a release.
"Nothing has changed," he said. "I'm surprised to be here after not being named as one of the top 59 players a couple of weeks ago. But I'm looking forward to playing some footy and hopefully proving some people wrong."