The Australian Rugby Union will address the anticipated scramble for the services of Western Force player but the CEO of the axed Super Rugby franchise says their personnel don’t need to make immediate decisions.
The ARU on Friday announced the Force would be the Australian team cut from the Super Rugby competition.
RugbyWA are set to take out an injunction against the ARU’s decision and if the Perth-based franchise win a right of appeal, they will take the case to the Supreme Court
“There’s no need for any immediate decisions from the players, and they’re aware of that,” Force CEO Mark Sinderberry said.
Asked if there was any restrictions on other teams recruiting Force players or if it was open slather, ARU boss Bill Pulver said: We’ll start that exercise on Monday.
“All the contracted players will have their contracts honoured and hopefully most of them will actually find a new Super Rugby team.
“If they don’t we’ll allow them to have an early release. If they don’t want an early release we will still honour their contracts.”
The Australian squad for the first two Bledisloe Cup Tests includes six Force players.
Among those likely to be most coveted by other teams are lock Adam Coleman, winger Dane Haylett-Petty and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne emphasised cutting a team would free up money to go to other areas.
“If you continue to make a decision to invest in Super Rugby you are making a conscious decision not to invest somewhere else, there’s only a limited pot,” Clyne said.
‘Our Wallaroos were extraordinary yesterday (at the Women’s World Cup), only just losing by two points they deserve a lot more support.
“They are not getting the level of financial support they deserve, nor is community rugby, nor is schools rugby.
‘We’re just saying we need to reallocate some of the pie to those things.”
Clyne emphasised having four competitive sides would improve Australia’s bargaining position when it came to discussing Super Rugby’s controversial format.
‘We have to be very careful that Australian teams are performing so we can retain some ability to have influence over those conference structures in the future,” Clyne said.
“If people don’t think Australia is worthy of playing from a high-performance perspective, we will not have the ability to influence what could be good outcomes for Australian rugby.
‘As difficult as this is, this is a significant step forward in positioning us to have a better Super Rugby structure in the period going forward.”
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Coleman is nowhere near the same boat though Piru. Was 22 and had been through the Brumbies and Waratahs systems before he went to the Force.
Brett Susan
Guest
Why not join the Currie Cup? It has international broadcast coverage and can help if only for three months of the year, Perhaps The Force will be a journeyman team for a while.
piru
Roar Rookie
Didn't seem to hurt Pocock and Coleman
piru
Roar Rookie
Heartland States are sick of having the parasitic Vultures from Subiaco trying to snap up rising stars with the help of the ARU’s chequebook Didn't realise the West Coast Eagles were stealing rising rugbyt stars. Force haven't played in Subiaco for years
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Ex Force Fan that's completely untrue. The Rebels have almost as many local players. On Sheikh's flawed metric, they'd have more actually. But still the following local players are contracted: 1. Fereti Sa'aga 2. Jordan Uelese 3. Siliva Siliva 4. Murray Douglas 5. Ikapote Tupai 6. Rob Leota 7. Sefa Naivalu 8. Sione Tuipulotu 9. Ah-mu Tuimalealiifano I think after 6 years the Force had Dane HAylett-Petty and Justin Turner for locals. So not really ironic because as the better performing Rebels 20s continue to filter into the senior ranks there will be more and more locals in the Rebels squad.
bradm
Guest
Oh Kirky, I understand exactly where you're coming from given the force were repeated world champion team.
bradm
Guest
All enticed from the eastern states in the first place with big $$$$ courtesy of ARU backing and all just waiting the first opportunity available to them to get back home.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
TWAS, yep.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You think European clubs having been waiting for teams to fold to poach players?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well they have stayed at the Force for varying periods of time. The Force was more hopeless than all 4 other franchises in 2016 and they were all keen to stay for 2017.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
But then they'll also be $4M up in 2019. Which will be really handy in a RWC year.
Ex force fan
Guest
And their legal fees. WA government should can the AB/WB game and replace it with an NRL test
Ex force fan
Guest
JOf course there are also WA players pouched from our pathways. E.g. Nick Jooste and Kyle Godwin. It is not one way traffic. The irony is that the Force is delivering their own players and much less dependent on QLD and NSW than the Rebels.
Realist
Guest
Equally as absurd is the fact these players were all identified early and the Force swooped with ARU top-ups and favour in a bid to push them off the bottom of the ladder. It really did wonders for James O'Connor throwing him into the bright lights so young didn't it?
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Why would they go to a hopeless Franchise as all are here in Australia, just to get a game with a hopeless International side a la the Wallabies? If they do it right they'll head overseas and I hope they do!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Realist, I don't know where you hanker from sunbeam and I care less, but don't tell me or any other Force player Supporter or otherwise they would be better off playing for Waratahs, Reds, Rebels or the Brumbies, hell I just saw on a rugby page that Christian Leia liafano has joined Ulster! The three teams mentioned plus the bankrupt Rebels can't win as proved and are poorly and badly Coached so unless it suits any Force players for the money or whatever, they'd be utter fools to go to any of them, ~they are vulture like bludgers! Hopefully they'll either play in Perth or go overseas and let you guys sink further into the brown than you are now!
LMS
Guest
they will also be 4million down next year, as they won't be getting an advance on their Bledisloe money
nmpcart
Guest
That is the problem when you recruit players from a different part of the country - their ties (family etc) are back in another location so at some stage they may want to go back there and if the opportunity to do so while still being a pro rugby player comes up then they may do so. That's not a criticism of the Force, just the reality of when you get players from another location, and WA's isolation adds to that. Other teams have faced the same situation when they have recruited players from outside their area and players will head towards teams where they feel they might get more success - the Brumbies have traded on this for a long time.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Realist! Get off here clown, you don't know what the hell you're talking about! The Force use their own mate and a few expat Kiwis and South Africans and you know it! I wouldn't use the word vultures rosebud, as they all fly around your defunct areas of Aussie' and you and your no hoper broke rugby sides are just hoping the Force players go there, they won't, as Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are all broke and losing Franchises' as per the last Season, were you not last on the Aussie ladder?
Train Without A Station
Guest
Unless the Rebels have secured a financial backer for 2018. Possibly the same party that paid the Rebels debt to allow a sale without ARU approval. A TAC head sponsorship would enable them to break even.