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Walker in the running for Reds
Jim Morton, c/o Rugby Heaven
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Queensland has restarted its chase for former Wallabies winger Andrew Walker after all but giving up on former New Zealand Maori centre Ryan Nicholas for the Super 14.
The Reds have reopened negotiations with Walker and his second division French club Gaillac to bolster their already-thin backline stocks.
With the Super 14 kick-off just nine days away, Queensland is resigned to losing Japan-based outside centre Ryan Nicholas after Wallabies fullback Chris Latham (knee) was ruled out for the season.
The Australian-born former Highlander is down to arrive at Ballymore after round four due to his Japanese league commitments with Suntory, which is seen as too late.
Reds coach Eddie Jones' hopes of Nicholas getting an early release rest on Suntory losing a play-off match this weekend but Jones isn't expecting his old club to stumble.
Losing Nicholas is a particularly worrying blow considering veteran Ben Tune is the only noted outside centre in Jones' squad, which plays its last trial on Friday against the Highlanders.
Tune's chequered injury history has partly added to the desperation to sign Walker, 33, to add flexibility and experience out wide.
The seven-Test back's signature could see league recruit Clinton Schifcofske groomed as back-up to Tune at No.13.
"We're having discussions with (Walker's) club because we do need another outside back," Jones said.
"We need one more outside back as coverage.
"Then we've just got a bit more flexibility to change guys around. Maybe experiment with Clinton at 13 or Peter Hynes at 13 if we've got one more at the back."
The Reds must help Walker, who they unsuccessfully chased last September, negotiate his way out of the contract he signed after his two-year suspension for recreational drug use lapsed last year.
Gaillac is currently sitting in the middle of the second division table and Walker is understood to be keen to return to the Super 14 under Jones, who first lured him from league to the Brumbies in 1999.
With Nicholas likely to stay in Japan, Jones indicated former Wallabies forward Toutai Kefu was another who would not return to Super 14 duty for the Reds.
Jones has always entertained thoughts of making No.8 Kefu a late inclusion, especially after losing young back-rower Ben Mowen (shoulder) for the season.
But the Queensland Rugby Union's dire financial predicament hasn't helped hopes of reactivating the 60-Test enforcer, playing in Japan on a huge deal with Kubota.
The QRU has recently finalised its budget review process which resulted in redundancies to three employees on Wednesday.
AAP