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Nathan Sharpe, arguably the best all-round secondrower in the world, has not been offered a Wallabies contract top-up next season.
While the Australian Rugby Union has rushed to re-sign players who were threatening to go overseas following the World Cup this year, it has snubbed Sharpe who recently stated he would be turning his back on offshore offers and remaining with Western Force next season.
At 33 and with 93 Tests to his credit, Sharpe - who on Saturday against the Lions in Johannesburg will equal George Gregan (136 matches) as the most-capped Super Rugby player in history - is easily the oldest player in the youth-dominated Australian team.
That said, his form over the past two seasons has been the best of his career.
And he is still eight months younger than Springboks legend Victor Matfield and three years younger than All Blacks warhorse Brad Thorn, the only other locks in the game worthy of mention in the same breath.
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As a primary lineout winner, Matfield might just have the jump on Sharpe and while Thorn is the more damaging runner, no other secondrower carries the ball as often or as effectively as the Australian veteran.
As a lock and a lineout organiser he is the complete package and although the media hype in the lead-up to the World Cup will focus on wunderkinds Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor and David Pocock, the one player Australia simply cannot afford to lose over the next seven months is Sharpe.
Not that the durability of the 2007 John Eales medallist has been an issue.
Aside from 2009, when a shoulder injury limited him to five Tests, Sharpe has compiled double-digit Test tallies for the past six years.
Despite that, the Force captain and Australia's most-capped secondrower is not considered worthy of a guaranteed ARU top-up to be paid in addition to his Super Rugby contract.
He has been offered an incentive-based contract that will kick in if he plays half-a-dozen Tests next year but the ARU, which is in savage cutback mode on all fronts save for executive salaries, will be offering him nothing up front.
"It's disappointing," was all Sharpe would say yesterday.
Having absorbed the bitter disappointment of seeing a historic victory over the Blues dashed by an after-the-bell equalising penalty goal by Auckland kicker Stephen Brett in Perth on Saturday night (the match end in a 22-22 draw), Sharpe tomorrow will lead the Force to South Africa where its opening match will be against a Lions side prepared by the Perth club's founding coach, John Mitchell.
"It will be strange opposing John," said Sharpe, who played 62 matches under Mitchell.
"The Lions will be stoked at having just won their first game in nearly two years (25-20 against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein) so we expect they'll be coming at us pretty hard."
Force coach Richard Graham is still awaiting the match stats from Bloemfontein, but before the Cheetahs game the Lions had passed the ball 170 times more than any other team in the competition, so the expectation in the Perth camp is that they will be in for a fast-paced, even frenetic game against the Johannesburg-based side.
Indications are the Force's two injured props, Tim Fairbrother and Matt Dunning, will be fit for the South African tour but seven backs cannot be considered because of injury.
The Australian
What a disgrace.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
This is SOOOO wrong.
7 Backs!?
Re Sharpie, while I think it is a joke, I imagine some shiny bum in a back room has done a cost risk analysis on a computer program, inserting age over matches and determined he is due for an injury.
It will be about post RWC generational change and the unlikelihood of him still playing in another four years.
All ye who worship at the alter of JO'N hold ye tongues, for he is not our brothers’ keeper.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
What a slap in the face for one of the nicest.
This man is a leader of men, he has been a rock for the Force since day one, and continues to be a shining light that leads by example.
Unlike other players who threaten to walk, he has committed to staying here so what does loyalty get?
PS: If he was a playing in the Eastern States would he have received the same ?????
Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
bit of a bummer for Sharpe...
Well, I think I've found a replacement for Scott Staniforth in the 'Most underrated player in Australian Rugby' stakes.
I hope he gets paid a bloody squillion after he makes the six test minimum, because he'll be benched early (while they try to replace him) and come back in the third game when they discover nobody apart from Horwill is even close and Horwill can't call a lineout to save himself.
C'mon the![]()
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no sharpe no lineout
they have got to be f'ing imbeciles not to even offer a reward contract for years of wonderful service, this basically forces many players to go overseas instead of staying and making the super comp stronger. good luck getting this and future bullets out ya feet ARU cock smokers
i wonder if waugh gets a ARU top up?
Why would the ARU want to keep Sharpie when ARU Director John Mumm has his little boy Dean to look after for a few more years??
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
That disgusting, they shouldn't be treating Sharpie like that
Heard Rockingham could not match the Top Up offer Cottesloe put on the table either, so off Sharpie went.
Gotta feel a bit sorry for the bloke after all he has contributed to Australian Rugby, and no big pool of quality second rowers to replace Sharpie with.![]()
Let me get something right here :
Giteau who is probably 4th in line for the # 10 jersey this year for the wallabies, behind Cooper / JOC / Barnes, is off at the end of the year to have frog legs for breakfast no doubt with his Valentine (Josh) following to carry the bags. he has a top up and its okay.
Sharpie who is the "FORCE", is #1 in Australia with a huge gap between him and Horwill (#2), is committed to Rugby Austraila and the development of the Force juniors and the up and coming players to the wallabies gets snubbed.
As I said when Michael Clarke is playing for the australian cricket team. when he plays i'll support the opposition 99% of the time.
If the likes of this is happening i could continue to support the opposition when it comes to the wallabies if they treat there "star" players like this.
They can top up injury prone players and players who are ready to jet off to other nations to chase the $$$ but they cant keep the money in the back pocket of real Rugby players and gentlemen like Sharpie.
Time to get the banner ready for the Rebels.
"Welcome the the Sharpie Shed !! ARU P1ss not your not welcome."