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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- Daniel Braid, David Nucifora, Matt Giteau, Rugby Union, Sam Norton-Knight, Super Rugby
March 3rd 2009 @ 10:31am
Farmer said | March 3rd 2009 @ 10:31am | Report comment
IMO SNK is a very good player and one the Waratahs cannot afford to lose. They say he will be replaced with Mitchell, but , good player that he is, I do not think he is any better than SNK.
Western Force would be mad not to pick him up. If WF lose Giteau and Mitchell, they will need every bit of talent and class they can lay their hands on. Somebody needs to drive the backline and every time SNK has run at 5/8 for the Waratahs , things seems to go very smoothly.
The benefit to Australian rugby of the 4th franchise is that it has allowed good young players the opportunity to get time in the S14. Pockock, Brown, Ionie (?) are all players that would have struggled to make progress or even a run elsewhere. They are all front line players now.
The WF are an investment that will continue to pay dividends in a steady stream of good players that have been given the chance to develop and shine.
On another stream, how many box kicks result in the ball being regained? From my observation it is very rarely regained and is relying on a fumble. Burgess regularly ( too often) kicks them , and regularly gives the ball back for the opposition to keep up the pressure. Has the logic of the box kick run its course. Is it relevant any more?
Finally, which 1/2 is going to step up to claim the Wallaby spot. After 11-12 Tests, I am not convinced Burgess is the answer.
Cheers.
March 3rd 2009 @ 10:46am
Sin-ick said | March 3rd 2009 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Hey Farmer,
I disagree. I think Burgess is the best halfback in Australia at the moment. I thought he was quick, made good decisions and has a very crisp pass. He only got a starting spot for the Tah’s halfway through last year and it was his first year as a Wallaby.
Give the kid some time to settle in. Otherwise you will be going into a World Cup year without a seasoned scrumie…..
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:02am
Brett McKay said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Spiro, I’m going to take the ultimate fence-sitting position on Sam Norton-Knight here.
Your points about the Force needing a quality Flyhalf are all very valid, and yes, SNK left the Brumbies, and will now leave the Tahs to try an get more regular time at 10. The Force would obviously seem the logical destination if he wanted to remain in Australia.
However…
SNK said in his announcement that with the 12 or 13 new players being bought into the Wallabies last year, and him not being one of them, he reached that conclusion that his Wallaby ambitions might have been extinguished.
At which point if he wants to play 10, and doesn’t appear likely to be on the Wallaby radar, it all becomes a matter of looking after himself. The Force wouldn’t be able to pay him any more than NSW – third party deals aside, and not being a regular Wallaby isn’t going to sell him to the corporates – so therefore overseas is his best option.
In this particular case, I think Sam going to play for Ospreys for the next three years is a no-brainer..
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:14am
formeropenside said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Pasthisbest – because the Force, objectively, has not been a good thing for Australian rugby. No Aust team with a Super title, no Bledisloe cup, no 3N trophy, worst exit the RWC since the Dwyer disaster of 1995: will you seriously tell me these have been good years to Aussie rugby?
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:19am
True Tah said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:19am | Report comment
formeropenside
the Force has given rugby a lot more coverage in Australia and has introduced a new area for potential future players.
Were you more happy with Australian rugby as an eastern enclave?
You’re view seems to be very short-term focused. This year, there is a pretty good chance an Australian team will win, given that the Kiwi sides have had their guts ripped out by European clubs and are struggling to perform.
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:22am
Brett McKay said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:22am | Report comment
And formeropenside, the Brumbies have played in 4 S14 finals for two titles, and NSW two finals as well, all since 1996. An oversight?
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:26am
The Link said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Not since the Force came in Brett – pretty sure this is his point.
Australia have won a 3N as well, but not when the Force have been around.
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:39am
Brett McKay said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
Link, you may well be right, and apologies FOS if that’s the case. Still, NSW played in the Final last season..
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:41am
Who Needs Melon said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
pothale, please advise on how I can spot these “artificially grown franchises” so that I can stop liking them.
formeropenside, a team doesn’t have to win or even be in the top half of the comp to be good for Australian rugby. The team can lose but still be good by allowing more players to get exposure, attracting new fans, etc. Hey why don’t we just have one team and put all our talent in there? That way we will be in with a great shot of winning the comp. THAT would be good for Australian rugby, wouldn’t it?
March 3rd 2009 @ 11:44am
Ben C said | March 3rd 2009 @ 11:44am | Report comment
I thought he was headed to the Cardiff Blues rather than Japan?