The Force should be with Sam Norton-Knight
Columnist
By Spiro Zavos, 3 Mar 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
The beleaguered Western Force officials have stated that they intend to replace their star five-eights Matt Giteau with a ‘marquee’ player from overseas. One of the players mentioned is the All Blacks veteran Aaron Mauger, now playing with lacklustre mediocrity in the United Kingdom.
This suggestion of Mauger would be risible if it were not for the fact that this season’s marquee signing by the Force is Ben Castle, a journeyman prop that even the Chiefs, with their pathetic props, were happy to let go of.
With Daniel Braid, another marquee signing, this time for the Queensland Reds, taking a place and money that should go to a rising young Australian flanker, it’s time for the ARU to step in and tell the Super 14 franchises that their marquee signings have to be approved by the ARU.
If this is done, Braid, Castle and someone like Mauger would be shown the door before any contract is signed.
We’ve recently had the news that Sam Norton-Knight is preparing to sign up with Japanese rugby at the end of this season.
Why? Because he wants to play five-eights and there is no chance of him doing that at the Waratahs.
Norton-Knight is 24 and has played for the Wallabies at five-eight. He is too good a player and too young to be lost to Australian rugby right now.
So why won’t the Force make him an offer he can’t refuse to play in Perth at five-eighths? The combination of Norton-Knight and James O’Connor could be a lethal pairing.
And if the Force is too stupid to do this, why shouldn’t David Nucifora, the ARU’s High Performance manager, step in and put pressure on the Force to do the right thing for their franchise and for Australian rugby?
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ozxile said | March 3rd 2009 @ 5:03am | Report comment
Why? Too obvious and far too logical.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 3rd 2009 @ 5:53am | Report comment
SNK to the force is a no brainer. He is a very good footballer. He has tremendous experience for a 24 year old. He is brave in the tackle, has an excellent kicking game and throws a great pass on both sides. He is also very serious about his rugby.
Get a marquee coach, LIke jake White or just keep the marquee coach they already have and then get on with it. They have shown that they have what it takes in one off games now they need to string a few wins together. So much for the much vaunted Brumbies.
hightower said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:26am | Report comment
SNK is the at best the third choice fly half for NSW, why would the Force want a third string player from another Australian province. If he his not prepared to back himself as a potential full back for Australia then let him go to Europe.
There are a lot of young inside backs/fly halfs in Australia – Berrrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale, Christian Lealiifano, James O’Connor, Tyrone Smith, as well as the more experienced Matt Giteau and Daniel Halangahu.
This talent should be naturally spread around if the players sought out oppotunity to play as a first or second choice fly half/ no 12 with one of the 4 provinces.
Amateur Hour said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Have had big wraps on SKN since early in his career. When he played at the Brumbies at fullback and was then moved to fly-half to replace an injured Larkham, much in the same way Larkham was moved from full-back to fly-half by Rod MacQueen, it was like watching weekend at Bernie\\’s 2 – right down to the head gear. He has a sublime passing game and excellent tactical kicking nouse, but just lacks a bit of confidence, which he would gain through stability of position. If the Force were to offer him a 3- year contract on the understanding that he would be their first choice 10, then the other 3 Australian teams would be ruing lost chances.
PastHisBest said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I have a lot of time for SNK and think he would be a terrific aquisition for the Force.
I can’t agree with you about Braid though Spiro. He’s been excellent for the Reds this year and from all accounts off the paddock as well. The Reds have such a young team that any additional leadership – particularly in a key position, is incredibly valuable.
Should they utilise Braid again next year? Possibly not. However this year he fills a need.
pothale said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Isn’t another young Australian player heading North to get time as a 10 or is it Norton-Knight?
Why should one Franchise be told what to do, when the Franchise that is letting him go -Waratahs – get no censure? If franchises are not operating to market forces but ultimately can be controlled (I love the notion of players getting an offer they can’t refuse) is this not an indicator that Franchises are being propped up artificially?
The Force seem to be dying on their feet – Giteau finally sulked his way from his contract, after Firepower ballsed up the sponsorship which no-one seemed to take responsibility for. They haven’t “entertained” enough – which now seems to be a necessary critieria for every game if you want to play rugby in the S14. (I’m fascinated to learn how you measure entertainment in a game. No of metres covered? How long a ball was carried for? Number of pom-pom girls at half-time? Who can do the best machine gun routine whenever a try is scored? Introduce a bloke in a suit and call him Tah Man? Oh sorry, they did that already.)
All the numbers seem to point to that ARU should get rid of a franchise that is draining Australian rugby financially rather than adding yet another one – in Japan of all place – as John O’Neill seems hell bent on. This guy is running Australian rugby for the future. Or should that be ruining?
Artificially grown franchises have shallow roots – when harsh winds blow, they tend to fall over. I suspect Norton-Knight has got a lot of sense and recognised he has a better chance elsewhere.
Tarpo said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Spiro,
My understanding is the marquee player must be approved by the ARU. In Braid’s case Queensland are very happy with him, with what he brings to the table off the field as well as on it. Young flankers like Luafutu are learning plenty off the experienced professional. According to the interview Braid had on “The Rugby Club” last week Nucifora was the instigator for him coming to Queensland, having just coached him for a number of years.
As for SKN going to the Force it does make a lot of sense, essentially you are asking for ARU to have a de facto draft. This may not be a bad thing. One or two props in other states could gain a lot more playing time for the Force than they currently experence.
formeropenside said | March 3rd 2009 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Of course a draft is a bad thing. The Force should be allowed to die, and replaced with a Japan/PI team.
SNK would be a good buy for the Force, but lets face it, the Tahs are not cutting him, he;s leaving: he wants to play 10 and the tahs want him at 15 due to Beale and Hangers.
The Brumbies have Gits from 2010, and To’omua (a young Queenslander) behind him.
Queensland have Barnes, Cooper and Lucas who can all play 10, and a wealth of speedy backs. We might want SNK as a 15 (he did go to school on the Gold Coast, after all) but he does not want to play 15.
I don’t care if SNK goes to the Force or Japan: there is enough talent around that he is unlikely to be a Wallaby 10 again in the future. Fullback is another matter, however.
When the ARU let players like Latham, Blake (its not like Aus has a lot of THP’s right now) and Elsom leave, why get concerned over SNK?
PastHisBest said | March 3rd 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment
formeropenside,
On what basis would your comment below be good for Australian rugby?
“The Force should be allowed to die, and replaced with a Japan/PI team.”
el_capitan said | March 3rd 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Spiro,
I don’t agree with you in regards to Braid stopping a younger player from developing. If the Reds went into the season without Braid then their forward pack would be rudderless and have no front line push. Braid has brought with him alot of experience and knowledge that the younger players can feed off. I believe that he will be a 2yr option for the Reds, with them keen to let him play in Japan during the off season and then back to the Reds. Loosing Croft and Roe were big, but Braid has shown that he can step up and take over this mentoring job.
In regards to SNK, you have to feel sorry for this kid. Didn’t want to play full back so went to the Tahs, who played him full back. The Force would be the right option, however the money on offer in Japan is too good to pass up. We have to remember that most of these players don’t have a trade or education to fall back on, so you might as well earn as much as you can now, as per Rocky and Carter.