$1m deal to keep Latham

[Happy]

the only thing you should be putting into props are pies

[JediKnight]

And if you're an ex-prop then you get the next Wallaby coaching job.....c'mon McKenzie!

[AndyS]

Yep, I have to agree - he's a great player, but he is not worth $1M/yr to Australian rugby unless it is predominantly outside funding.

[James]

And if you're an ex-prop then you get the next Wallaby coaching job.....c'mon McKenzie!

Is this the same McKenzie who plays both Matt Dunning and Al Baxter as his first choice Waratahs front row? Do you think he will do much different to Connolly? No McKenzie isn't the man for the job. He did bring the Waratahs to two consecutive final stages but the style the Waratahs played doesn't match up well with the style the Wallabies should play.

[Happy]

so he's gotten the tah's to more final stages than the wallabys have over the past 4 years then...

[Jess]

I doubt he'll be up to playing in 4 years... and the tears he shed and the look on his face after the semi indicated to me that he didn't think he'd be playing in another world cup.

But I would like to see him play another season or two, but if it would be better for him to be let go in order to earn a bucket load overseas and would then give someone like Sheps or Mitchell the opportunity to fill his spot... well then I could live with that.

[GIGS20]

I agree Jess. There is NO DOUBT that right now, Latho is the best fullback in the world. However, the World Cup is really becoming the tournament of note in the international scene. If Australia are following this trend, then a huge contract for Latho is simply going to be money wasted, for various reasons mentioned earlier in the thread, he is highly unlikely to be playing at that level in 4 years time and developing young talent should be the priority. I wonder what chance he'd be as a technical assistant after next year, and using his position as a transition development selection.

[eleypinkbit]

We should be looking forward to the next two World Cups and giving the big bucks to those up and coming players who will be there.
I think Latham is a fantastic player and the others who are also coming to the end of their careers - they are great to watch, but the money should be going to the grass roots of the game, to keep it great into the future.

[Jess]

I do think it's a shame it's all about the world cup though. Wouldn't it be in our best interests to keep him around a little while longer to win tri nations and bledisloes?

[GIGS20]

It could well be. there is surely a lot that could be achieved by having Latho mentor the next World Cup fullback. Is the cost worth the benefit? What about intangible factors such as looking after a player who has been a long-term servant of the team (and a bloody good one at that) There are a lot of things to be considered on both sides of this issue. I don't really know exactly what I think.

[chook]

Hopefully 4 years from now we will have a [baby] blue ribbon fullback or two. Can't expect Latho's knee to hold up for 4 more years.

Plenty of world class players which have never won a RWC. A lot of them seem to come from New Zealand.

[James]

The ARC lost something like 1.5 million right? Well why don't we sack Lote and let Latham go and pay off the losses from that. God knows it would serve us much better in the long run.

[JediKnight]

I do think it's a shame it's all about the world cup though. Wouldn't it be in our best interests to keep him around a little while longer to win tri nations and bledisloes?

But the test of true rugby greatness is to pit yourself against the best in the world.....and history has shown that this means playing against northern hemisphere sides and the only chance to do this in a meaningful competition is in the Rugby World Cup.

The tri-nations & bledisloe are purely warm-up games for the main event.

[LarryNJ]

But the test of true rugby greatness is to pit yourself against the best in the world.....and history has shown that this means playing against northern hemisphere sides and the only chance to do this in a meaningful competition is in the Rugby World Cup.

The tri-nations & bledisloe are purely warm-up games for the main event.

Thanks for clearing that up for me Jedi. I think I've been steered in the wrong direction the last couple years.

[JediKnight]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Jedi. I think I've been steered in the wrong direction the last couple years.

No worries Larry.