Beale poised to commit to rugby
Bret Harris | January 31, 2008

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html

KURTLEY BEALE is poised to sign a long-term deal with NSW Waratahs, but the future of coach Ewen McKenzie at the Super 14 club is less certain.

Kurtley Beale revealed yesterday he was close to re-signing with the ARU and NSWRU. Picture: Phil Hillyard
Beale, the former Australian schoolboy sensation who had a mixed rookie season last year, has been courted by several rugby league clubs.

But Beale, 19, revealed yesterday he was close to re-signing with the ARU and NSWRU, although he did not rule out switching to rugby league in the future.

A contender for Stephen Larkham's vacated Wallabies No10 jersey, Beale said he still had goals to achieve in rugby union, including winning the Super 14 and playing for Australia.

"The ARU have offered me a couple of years there. We are still talking," Beale said.

"Hopefully, we can come to an agreement in the next seven days.

"I'm only 19 and I still think there is a lot to improve in my game and I want to achieve."

But it remains to be seen whether McKenzie is still at the Waratahs to continue to guide Beale's career.

McKenzie, who is in his fifth season as Waratahs coach, is also out of contract at the end of the season.

The Waratahs reached the final and semi-finals in McKenzie's second and third seasons respectively, but finished second from the bottom last year.

NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange said the Waratahs would accept nothing less than a top-four finish this season.

"Internally, we are putting that (semi-final) down as the minimum requirement," he said.

"Absolutely, top four. I would love to have a home semi-final and a home final."

Asked whether the NSWRU's top-four requirement placed McKenzie under pressure, L'Estrange said: "Ewen obviously understands he has to win. There's no doubt about that.

"The performance indicator for Ewen is how well he does in the competition.

"He is very unhappy about last year's performance. He understands the responsibility from a NSW perspective. He understands the responsibility from a Ewen McKenzie perspective. I'd like to think he doesn't feel any more pressure.

"I'd like to think he is a professional coach, which he is.

"He understands how we perform on the track is how people view the success of the season, irrespective of the bad luck you can have in sport, injuries, wet days and missed kicks. There are no excuses."

After a review of the Waratahs' poor performance last year, the NSWRU decided to appoint an independent selector and an advisory panel to help McKenzie.

But L'Estrange, who replaced former NSWRU chief executive Fraser Neill at the end of last season, has decided against having an independent selector.

Instead, new attack coach Todd Louden, previously assistant coach at the Super 14 championship winning Bulls, and captain Phil Waugh will have input into selection, although McKenzie will have the final say.

"Todd has added a huge amount of value to our coaching team," L'Estrange said. "We believe with that input it wasn't necessary to have an independent selector on board because, to an extent, Todd plays that role.

"We have changed one or two things about selection as well. We've got Phil Waugh, the captain, on the panel and he gives a lot of feedback because he's out there on the field.

"Ewen, at the end of the day, has the judgment call."

L'Estrange and NSWRU independent board member Ed Zemancheff will form the advisory panel, which will also include "floating" experts such as former Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen, who has already advised the Waratahs on the new experimental laws, which he was involved in making.

"In regards to the advisory board we've set up a model I'm more comfortable with," L'Estrange said. "Ed and I meet with Ewen on a regular basis and we are calling that our advisory team.

"We have already used a variety of people to come in as floaters. Ed and I are the core. Depending on what we think is the issue we want to debate, we bring an ex-Wallaby, ex-Waratah in to continue the debate, just to give Ewen a place where he can go and discuss things."

* Western Force coach John Mitchell is expected to announce Wallabies Nathan Sharpe and Matt Giteau as captain and vice-captain today.