IRB won't help Wallabies keep Folau

There is more than just northern money involved. Players are of the generation when many of their friends will have already headed overseas to travel and work for a year or, while they have been doing little else but train play and spend time on aeroplanes. So in their mid to late twenties the opportunity to spend time in England and Europe and be well paid is attractive. For the young marrieds, they are not away from families for weeks at a time. Rugby is now played on a four year cycle around world cups. Most very good southern hemisphere players have the ambition to play in a world cup, so will ceertainly stay at least until the next world cup. Some of the older players will then head overseas, while some young talent will sign up for the next one, especially if they think ther country has a chance of winning it. The player most likely to leave us at a young age is the very good player who sees his international path blocked by even better players. The superannuation group will always leave eventually. So we have the prospect of rebuilding and renewing to a certain extent every four years. It was interesting to read another contributor quote Carl Hayman- it is now a few years ago, and he is almost the only example of an front line All Black- the best in the world in his position and considered almost irreplacable leaving at a young age. Look what happened - a new bred of props quickly emerged. Young talent such as Nick Evans also left, but he woulod have seen a young Dan Carter with the position taken for years. Giteau was a special case with coach/player clashes, but we shall never know whether he would have kept out the current crop. If Filau goes he will be a big loss, as much for his marketability as his on field skills, but the sun will rise the next day on the next generation.

Would be a shame to lose him him for the Wallabies. He has a lot of talent but he is not the finished product yet. Hope he stays for a few more years

so from captain to not wanted roardog... being a good bloke can only get you so far. i've got nothing against mowen but its pretty obvious that mckenzie didn't want him.

i'm sorry but this year with a fully fit backrow to choose from mowen comes in about 6th or 7th in the wallabies backrowers. he wasn't retained because he wasn't wanted. he's a good captain but he certainly isn't a test player. we were talking about people leaving at the top of their game, ie digby and hayman and i'm sorry but mowen isn't anywhere near their calibre of player.

I'd be amazed if Izzy broke his contract before the World Cup. Pretty sure he is signed till end of 2015. He has stated several times how much he wants to play at the World Cup. He could double his earning potential after a big World Cup. I think it's integral the ARU keep Izzy beyond 2015 and through to 2019. The guy is on the way to becoming a superstar.

If Folau defects before the RWC 2015 then it will show that its all about the money, if hes a true sportsman, which i think he is, he'll want to challenge himself on the biggest stage - the RWC, then go and sell himself, like SBW did.

Everyone's after Folau. I expect the NRL to offer a 400-500 top up if any teams can fork up 600-800 for him.

22 NSW players, that wraps it up, classic no comeback from Jiggles , FOS and Red Kev, do they ever win an argument based on facts or are they just on the turps 24/7

Chan Wee, good article that most expats can relate to. 60-70% tax, speeding fine for 3kms above the limit, nanny state ruling your life, rampant inflation. All these things see people with talent go offshore. People that stay can call us sell outs all they like. As much as I love Australia, you need to go overseas for a period of time to see its flaws. I don't even see myself retiring here now

Interesting article Chan.

but how's their rugby side?

Jereme, I believe what you are saying was more true in the days of the semi-professional rugby player - when the Wallabies jersey lead to a lucrative corporate career post football. Blame the ARU if you like but that path no longer exists - most of the corporates have League boxes now - and it's now about earning enough from your playing career to see you out. There are plenty of ex-Wallas, who could still command a spot (or at least could have when they first went), running around overseas to demonstrate that.

I agree totally NOS, we now live in an increasingly "free trade" world. For better or worse I can, if I was so inclined, buy my Evian Water, my Moet and my Foie Gras without paying any import duty so why the heck can't I have my home grown talent selected in the national team regardless of where they are plying their trade?

yes silly because the international body does not get involved with specific player(S) related money matters. as far as i know international sports governing bodies deal with local bodies on broder issues. they are not a "Lender of last resort" like a Central bank ;) though it is not uncommon:)

Let him go, don't waste the money on any one player. Give the next guy a chance.

40% of the squad has to be French Developped. dont know a max number of the squad but the total salaray of the squad cannot be over euro 10mio. it is a loose term which has been criticized - giving the example of Armitage brothers.

On behalf of the roar, I hereby award you your PhD for that post. I promise I will finish reading it when I get time...

I think he is saying Mowen isnt up to test football. He is a good super player but thats where it ends in many peoples opinions.

@ nickoldschool : tis is on simillar but not exact lines :) maybe u will like reading the toughts of a very rich man ;) "" Big things will happen where great minds go - by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum | June 10, 2014 , 7 : 08 pm GST In 1968, while studying at the Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom, I needed to visit a hospital. There I met a doctor who, to my surprise, spoke fluent Arabic. I learned that he was new to the UK, so I asked if he intended to stay long or return home. He replied with an Arabic saying that translates as: "My home is where I can eat." That doctor's words stayed with me for many years, because they underscored the contradiction between our idealized view of "home" and the harsh realities of life that push talented people to leave their homes. The doctor was a classic case of the "brain drain" phenomenon that has afflicted developing countries for decades. These countries spend scarce resources educating doctors, engineers, and scientists, in the hope that they will become engines of prosperity. Then we watch with dismay as they migrate to the West, taking with them the promise of their talent. It is, of course, everyone's right to choose a better life, wherever in the world they wish. We understand why they go. Talent is drawn — like a magnet — to opportunity. For the countries left behind, however, it feels like an endless vicious cycle: they need talent to create opportunity; but without opportunity, talent gravitates to the bright lights of the West. Indeed, the United Nations and the OECD report that migration for work has risen by one-third since 2000. One in nine university graduates from Africa now lives and works in the West. Many will not return: skilled workers are six times more likely to stay away. But now something remarkable is happening. In some countries, the brain drain has reversed its flow. The causes are fascinating, and there is reason to be optimistic that the vicious cycle can be broken, transforming the balance of hope and opportunity between developing and developed economies. A new study by LinkedIn, the world's largest online professional network and recruitment platform, has measured the net international movement of talent among its members. Topping the list as a destination for talent is my own country, the United Arab Emirates, with a net talent gain of 1.3 per cent of the workforce in 2013. Other net "talent magnets" include Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, South Africa, India, and Brazil. Most interesting, fewer than one-third of net talent importers are developed countries. In fact, the top talent exporters in this study are Spain, the UK, France, the United States, Italy, and Ireland. Rich countries that until recently had been tempting away our brightest minds are now sending us their own. Of course, this is only one study, and many poor countries still suffer from a chronic talent exodus. OECD data show that many countries in Africa and Latin America have migration rates for graduates above 50 per cent. We do know that brain drain is often a function of safety and security as much as economic opportunity. Part of the tragedy playing out in Middle Eastern countries beset by conflict and instability is that if only their most talented sons and daughters could apply their skills at home, they would become part of the solution: agents of peace through development. This makes it all the more important to examine how some developing countries succeeded in reversing the outward flow. The basic ingredient is opportunity. Talent flows naturally to countries that create an environment for economic growth; that make life easy for enterprise; that attract and welcome investment; and that nurture a culture of achievement. Skills are attracted to challenge and possibility. Opportunity on this scale is becoming a scarce commodity in many parts of the West. But this is not the case in the developing world – at least among countries with the appetite and determination to deploy strong governance and continually raise their competitiveness. Second, quality of life matters greatly. A generation ago, many talented individuals would consider working outside the West a "hardship posting." Today, standards of living in the UAE, for example, are among the highest in the world. We have shown that the business of reversing brain drain is also the business of creating a better life for citizens and residents. Building happiness is, after all, the primary business of good government everywhere. Ours is a story of great hope for the Middle East in particular, where generations of conflict and despair have driven high levels of outward migration. I have always argued that, besides good governance, the best solutions to the divisions and strife of the Arab world lie in grassroots development and economic opportunity. Now, we have shown that it is possible to reverse the forces that had driven away our most talented young people. Another source of hope is that this turnaround can happen remarkably quickly. Research shows that small countries suffer disproportionately from brain drain. But we have shown that even for a small country like the UAE, and even in a region divided by conflict, it is worth building an island of opportunity. But let me be clear: reversing brain drain is about more than plugging a leak. It means turning a vicious cycle into a virtuous one. By attracting the best talent from around the world, we can create a vibrant and diverse society that fuels innovation and prosperity – which in turn attracts still more talent. To make this work, we must believe in people. Human beings – their ideas, innovations, dreams, and connections – are the capital of the future. In this sense, the "brain regain" is not so much an achievement in itself as it is a leading indicator of development, because where great minds go today, great things will happen tomorrow. The author is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai ""

Jiggles Im not going to dispute you that ultimately it was NZRU's responsibility, however the point being made by Junior was that the IRB only acts in NZ's best interests which they did not re the 2003 hosting.