0
Probably need Biege to confirm but I'm pretty sure that Cooper Cronk played schoolboy Rugby or something along those lines. Would have been ridiculous if the ARU were chasing him.
But they're not, so here we are...
I may be jumping at shadows but did anyone else notice Adam Coleman say there is "a big black cloud hanging over the Western Force and their future" in the post match interview with Maloney tonight? Interesting he said "their future" not "our future". He isn't signed to us beyond this season and is a Wallaby so could it be that the Tahs have stolen him as a replacement for Skelton???!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
I think if Adam Coleman had been signed by the Tahs then the like of Georgina and her cronies would have leaked it by now.. The media would have had a field day with this... Just another way to rub the salt into the wound..
Your right Tonk but I bet the Tahs coaching Staff have him penciled in on the roster in their heads. With the loss of both Skelton and Mumm the Tahs will play hard ball to get Adam regardless of the Force being in the comp or not. If the roles reversed I would think less of our administration if they didn't.
Its actually been nice not having contract speculation in the media.
Super Rugby footballer slams ARU and speaks out on player uncertainty
Tom Decent
The ongoing uncertainty around which Super Rugby club will be cut from the competition next year has gone on too long and players are fed up.
While some have spoken out, others have yearned for the opportunity to say how things really are within the inner sanctum of a club being brought to their knees because of the ARU's inability to pull the trigger or at least provide some clarity on their decision-making process.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/anonymous-super-rugby-footballer-slams-aru-and-speaks-out-on-player-uncertainty
Fairfax Media rugby reporter Tom Decent spoke to a player from one of the clubs affected by the saga – either the Western Force or Melbourne Rebels – on the condition of anonymity, who has labelled the ARU "selfish" and believes they are "playing with our livelihoods".
On players' view of the ARU
"Everyone is fed up. It's so erratic and selfish from the ARU. It is a disgrace and gravely irresponsible. They're inept.
"No one from the ARU has addressed players. We'd appreciate that because the cards are in their hands and obviously they're in a difficult position but they're playing with our livelihoods.
Advertisement
"If they came in and explained the situation, explained that they understand how hard it is, everyone would still be pissed off but it would be the honourable thing to do. They should front up and just say what's going on. You can't put a face to it at the moment."
On when players started worrying they could be without a job next year
"It's been so long I can't really remember when the chat started about us getting cut. At the start of pre-season it was thrown around and everyone was chatting and then it started to gain momentum. It didn't feel real until that ARU release saying it was either going to be the Force or Rebels.
"The press conference was playing on television and all of us in the room were gobsmacked. It was like the Melbourne Cup, everyone was gathered around the TV. They said 48 to 72 hours and we all thought, 'wow, that's very quick'.
"I'm particularly close to one teammate and that's obviously all we're going to talk about. I didn't believe the ARU from the start. I wondered how they were going to do that in 48 to 72 hours? I thought they needed more time to make an educated decision. I knew they needed time but I didn't think they'd need as much as they have. I don't know if they're even going to cut a team."
On how it has affected players and their futures
"Everyone doesn't know whether to look elsewhere for other options.
"The people I feel the most sorry for are the people who have turned down huge money overseas to stay. Guys who have played for the Wallabies I know have been offered enormous money. It's just ridiculous because you don't know what you're doing.
"From a rugby perspective, I'm happy to wait but the outside world doesn't wait for you. My lease is coming up in a few months but there are lads with kids and wives who have jobs and are doing it so tough."
On whether players would want to play NRC
"It would be fun from a player's perspective if our club got folded, because players would get on the piss and not take the NRC seriously. No one would care.
"Players would definitely not want to play. Apparently those guys would have to stick around but what's the point? It's very hard.
"They'd want to go elsewhere and make an impression and start a new chapter and dig in and make a name for themselves.
"Hypothetically, if you were going to move to the Super Rugby club that didn't get cut, you'd want to play for their NRC team. Not the one that doesn't have a future."
On what the last few weeks has been like for all involved
"You wake up and think: 'Is this going to be the day?'
"I found it strange because player agents would hit me up more than normal. I've had three other Australian clubs contact me and say they're keen. Everyone is swarming for us."
On the mood at training
"It's weird because at training you're trying to read into it all. If a coach isn't there one day, even though he might genuinely be sick, you start to wonder if he has quit.
"Other staff members have been disappearing and it's so sad. You try and analyse everyone's body language in terms of coaches and administrators. We just want to know what's going on."
On the communication channels at the club
"They don't come in every day and say what's going on because they want you to focus on the footy. That's fair enough. But you hear rumours and whispers.
"All the boys read the paper. If you go into a cafe, it's got a paper. Of course you're going to have a look.
"People are texting me asking what's going on. You literally don't know and they probably don't believe me but it's true."
On the support for players
"A staff member at the club came up to me and said: "If you need help let me know. A lot of the boys are struggling, just come and talk to me if you need to'."
On whether there is a feeling players have signed overseas
"The ARU are screwing themselves over because people are going to leave.
"There are guys who are running out on their contract and need some answers. If they wait until August to do this, people are going to be stuffed. They'll probably go overseas to wherever can take them and then the ARU loses the player who they would have wanted to keep.
"Put yourself in the shoes of a senior player – say 29 or 30 – and you had kids and had mega offers from overseas and then you're trying to stay loyal at the same time. It's incredibly difficult.
"Me and the guy I'm really close with have also been hit up by other agents saying they can get us deals overseas. I didn't think about it really. You want to go as far as you can in the game in Australia and then if you did want to go overseas you would want to be on top dollar. To do that you've got to make a name for yourself.
"How would all this uncertainty not affect players? If you got offered two or three times more money overseas than what you're getting here and you don't even know if your club is going to be around, you'd have to go. Even if the club survived, it might be too late. And all of these guys have genuine Wallabies aspirations. It'd be so hard to ignore the offers because they don't know what's happening."
On the contracting system for next year
"I was speaking to an agent and he needed to know what salary I was on in case our club folded so I might be able to fit in the salary cap of another club. I just would have just assumed the salary cap would not exist next year. Clubs are full, how do you fit people into the cap? How do you cram the money of five teams into four?"
Last edited by travelling_gerry; 27-05-17 at 07:59.
Tom Decent interview a Force player before writing an article about the Force? I doubt it. Not a major player but Tom Decent is still on the anti Force team.
Rebels were in Sydney last week, article appears in the Sydney Morning Herald ..... hmmm coincidence?
Rugby is this country will not ever recover from this mess. The ARU hierarchy are a dysfunctional pack of incompetent muppets who couldn't organise a root in a brothel.
I don't blame the players for getting out and a Force player is flying out to Japan on Wednesday for twice the dough he is on now.
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
Which just sums it up doesn't it, how the ARU can be so pig heatedly ignorant to what is actually happenning during this whole mess. players are willing to stay here even with the money they know is on offer from overseas.
Especially at the moment when the international community knows they stand a bloody good chance of getting players (not to mention that most force and rebels lads have said they're not playing for another franchise) they're all looking at Australia.
However I think we'll only have a couple more days to worry, the contracting windows must be nearly closed. Once that happens we'll know who has put all their chips on the table. I don't plan to ridicule any player who chooses to secure their future, rather, I would want to think about the massive gamble those who choose to back the force in this are taking, especially since the administration appear not to have changed their original Plan of kill the force.
C'mon the