Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will touch base with Kurtley Beale on the team’s European tour to see if he is ready to exercise a get-out clause in his rich contract with Wasps.
Beale has been sidelined with a knee injury in May, which came shortly after his record $2.96 million two-year deal with the English Premiership club was announced.
However, he has the option to exit after just one season if he desires.
The 27-year-old utility back is in contact with Cheika, who has made no secret of his desire to repatriate as many overseas-based players as possible to boost the depth in Australian rugby.
“We’ve had some discussions over the phone and he came to the match against Argentina in London,” Cheika said.
“He’s back on deck around December for Wasps, so we’ll see what form he gets back into and what decisions are regarding next year or the year after and his contract status, and go from there.”
Beale has the requisite 60 caps to satisfy the ‘Giteau law’ and is eligible to represent the Wallabies no matter where he plays, but an early return to the Waratahs would be desirable for Cheika as he continues to reshape the Australian backline.
With Beale, Giteau and Rob Horne all out injured, inside centre has been an unsettled position and Cheika has rattled through through a number of different options at No.12 this year in Samu Kerevi, Matt Toomua, Bernard Foley and most recently Reece Hodge.
Despite moving Foley back to five-eighth for Australia’s third Bledisloe Cup defeat last week, Cheika says he is not done yet with his dual playmaker experiment featuring Foley and Quade Cooper working in tandem and will use it when it suits the team tactically.
“Quade’s had a good season so far and he’s changing his style of game a little bit to fit with the shape we’re playing,” he said.
“I’ve been really quite pleased with what he’s done since he’s come back.
“I’m sure he’s going to have plenty of offer on the tour in whatever role we give him and he will have a clear role in the lead-in to each week’s match.”
nigel brown
Roar Rookie
Hope Gill stays there and cashes in. Cheika shafted him so why would he come back
nigel brown
Roar Rookie
Peter Beale went for the money so the gold jersey dosnt mean that much to him. Greed over Pride.Good on him , hope he stays there . Anyway there are a few more league players to pick from
nigel brown
Roar Rookie
Beale was at the center of getting Cheika the Wallaby Gig so of cause he will look after him. But they could just text each other.
Bakkies
Guest
More obnoxious then Cheika and Taylorman?
Bakkies
Guest
How do you know it's soft?
Mark
Guest
I'm really tired of all this crap about the Waratahs. Maybe you're the one with the Waratahs bias? Look at the official 32-man Wallabies squad. How many Waratahs are there? Unless I'm wrong there are nine just one more than the Brumbies and three more than both the Rebels & Reds... which is fair enough as they're both rubbish. So the bulk of the squad is coming from the two best state teams in the country. That makes perfect sense to me. Find something else to complain about. 9 Waratahs 8 Brumbies 6 Rebels 6 Reds (Genia officially Stade Francais now) 3 Force
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes exactly, and they still think players doing the 9-5 with their socks up can return to the real world of tough SH test rugby will still be able to cut it. Easy travel, easier matches, more dollar for less. Welcome to the land of soft.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Is it 10 or 11 debutants we have seen play this year? Not bad for a guy shirking his responsibility to introduce new blood.
What!
Guest
Beale isnt a Tah. Neither are 23 of his squad. Not that that will matter to you.
CUW
Guest
i think they prefer the owners to be obnoxios and the coaches to be more mild-mannered in Europe :)
Bakkies
Guest
Tman, Beale is allowed to do both. Playing club Rugby in Europe is more stable for young families as the players are home more often rather then on the travelling circus that is Super Rugby, the 4 Nations and the tour.
taylorman
Roar Guru
If you think these guys would rather play for a club in France that cares nothing about international rugby than play internationals for their own country you're dreaming. Money talks and that's what drives that thinking. Nothing else. And they'll chirp chirp anything so long as the bank balance is kept to optimum levels.
Bakkies
Guest
Liam Gill has already stated that he wants to prove himself to Toulon by performing and staying committed by not having chats about leaving. Shows in his performances out on the pitch already
Bakkies
Guest
Cheika needs to be careful in the way he behaves towards European clubs as he may end up coaching one soon if the Wallabies results don't improve. Beale needs to stay to give back to the club. That's why Halfpenny stayed in Toulon as he spent most of the time injured, the club looked after him in his rehab and he wanted to pay them back by performing on the pitch. He had offers to go to Wasps or back to Wales
CUW
Guest
nothing new there . he talked Houston into leaving BATH and look what it got him he antagonized Bordeaux about both AAC and the prop ....
Bakkies
Guest
Beale's overrated and that's shameful behaviour from Cheika. He might not be the same player after a patella injury. Watch de Villiers' doc to see how severe the rehab is. Beale is being looked after by the club, they could have cancelled his contract and hasn't played for them yet he flaps his mouth in to his ears about convincing him to leave.
taylorman
Roar Guru
I'd leave Beale out of it. He represents the old, inconsistent Wallabies. They need to move on from these hot and cold players. Like Cooper, Beale can drag oz up, and down, and regularly did both. At times the Roar would be full of get rid of him, but now the calls are get him back. That will change. It always has. Move on Cheika.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
IMO, the one player he should be trying to convince to come back home is Liam Gill. To me Liam Gill is the equivalent of what Matt Todd is to NZ rugby, a highly dependable flanker. A little lighter that Matt Todd at 96 kilograms but that can be built upon. With Pocock on his sabbatical next year, Aussie has Hooper and McMahon but with the latter being shifted around the backrow,openside was a position that the Wallabies had looked to have ample depth a few months ago is now starting to look a bit thin.
CUW
Guest
wonder what he will ckeck , he aint playing still. maybe the recovery progress.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Beale is a very good player. Nothing wrong with keeping in touch and trying to get him back to australia in one year's time.