Eight months after sensationally being taken to France by Eddie Jones as the Wallabies’ specialist fly-half for their World Cup campaign, Carter Gordon could be lost to Australian rugby.
Off contract at season’s end, The Roar understands that Gordon is open to a switch to the NRL.
It’s understood that several NRL clubs are interested in Gordon, including the Gold Coast Titans. But interest in the 23-year-old extends to south of the Tweed.
The Melbourne Storm could also one day be an option, with coach-in-waiting Jason Ryles working alongside Gordon at last year’s World Cup. Ryles was asked to jump on the Wallabies’ World Cup ticket hours after former attack coach Brad Davis resigned.
Gordon, picked ahead of Quade Cooper and Berard Foley for the RWC campaign by Eddie Jones, is still very much open to staying in Super Rugby, but he’s conscious of not being undervalued.
Carter Gordon featured at last year’s World Cup, but the 23-year-old could leave by the time Australia hosts the 2027 tournament. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Although Rugby Australia wants Gordon to stay, currently the cash-strapped governing body, who on Monday announced a $9.2 million deficit and revealed they had already used $50m of their $80m debt facility, are not in a position to break the bank, especially given how wide open the Wallabies No.10 position is under new head coach Joe Schmidt.
In one way that shows a new prudent side of RA, yet players and their agents are still perplexed at the mouthwatering sums some players have been offered to stay in rugby while others are told there simply is not the money to stretch national top-ups further.
Taniela Tupou’s multi-million dollar two-year deal was the first that saw eyebrows raised, but when Joseph Suaalii was offered roughly $5m over three years jaws dropped.
Even recently, Max Jorgensen’s two-year deal worth an estimated $1m to stay at the Waratahs saw several figures left baffled given the talented outside back has yet to pull on the Wallabies jersey and was plagued by injuries throughout his exciting debut season in 2023.
It’s understood Gordon was willing to stay at the Rebels, but the precarious nature of the Super Rugby club’s future has led to the talented playmaker, who could also play at inside centre and fullback, exploring his options.
Should the Rebels be culled by RA, it’s understood his preference would be to return to Queensland.
Carter Gordon has been one of the Rebels’ best over the past 24 months, but could he return to the Reds? (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Despite having Wallaby-in-waiting Tom Lynagh and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at the franchise, it’s understood the Reds are open to welcoming the former Brisbane Boys’ College product back to Ballymore.
The Roar’s exclusive report that Hunter Paisami could join Jordan Petaia by leaving the Reds could also pave the way for RA being able to offer Gordon more money to stay in the game. The Reds, however, remain hopeful both Paisami and Petaia will remain at the club.
The Waratahs could also go after Gordon, especially with the national product desperate to see the NSW franchise rise up the standings after reaching the semi-finals of Super Rugby just once since 2015 – the year after they won their maiden title.
Should Gordon leave Australian rugby it would be another blow off the back of a horrendous World Cup campaign.
After failing to reach the knockout stages of the competition for the first time, it was hoped that Jones’ youngest squad at the 2023 tournament – and the youngest Wallabies team to go to a World Cup since 1991 – would benefit from the experience of playing on the world stage ahead of hosting the tournament in 2027.
Indeed, the experience of playing in front of hostile crowds, where the Wallabies and Jones were booed relentlessly, could help the squad ahead of showpiece events against the British and Irish Lions in 2025 and the home World Cup two years later.
But that experience could prove to be wasted unless Gordon stays put in Australian rugby.
A creditors’ meeting will be held on Friday to determine whether the Melbourne Rebels’ plan should be backed as recommended by an administrators report handed down last week.
Even if it is backed though, Rugby Australia could still decide not to hand the Rebels back their Super Rugby licence.
RA is expected to confirm its position on the Rebels’ future in May.
Should they attempt to wind up the Rebels, a battle in the courts is expected.
If that occurs, several players will be lost to Australian rugby.
Cec
Roar Rookie
:laughing: Okay you don’t like stats, so what. 91pts… :laughing: Just go with your “I reckon method”. Seems to work for your Rebs pretty well :silly: Noah scored 17 of 27pts to ‘not’ lead the Brums over the Canes. But don’t mind the stats :laughing: . Here’s another stat not to worry about, NL 7 test wins over AB, ARG, Boks, FRA, ENG, SCO and WAL, CG- Nil vs tier 1!
Cec
Roar Rookie
:laughing: rubbish. I guess you’ve never seen a pendulum D. Two guys back. This is how Brums use Noah for reasons just explained. They’re not the only team with that system. He’s still at 77% in that system and doing the job asked of him.
Jack
Roar Rookie
Larkham was a world class player from his first test.,G is not. He may be a good test player one day but right now he has yet to show it.
Magpie
Roar Rookie
Totally agree
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
No WB makes the top 10 club earns in Union and may even be closer to 20th than 10th.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
Don’t know but being even handed, you would also have to add in rep payments to the NRL top players including Origin & Internationals. Origin is about 30k per match and I would expect internationals to be more than that but not as high as RWC. There may be winning bonuses involved as well but these are more secretive. I suspect that total earnings wouldn’t be that much different at the end of the day. Also I am not sure you have it quite right when you say only 3 NRL players earn more than a WB, what I said was that only 3 NRL players earn more than the highest paid Rugby player.
Cec
Roar Rookie
100%. It’s just the nature of modern test footy taking points and field position, plus set piece. I caught a brief snippet of Campo on another podcast & he asked to be the backs coach for the next year to develop this “entertaining, free-flowing, AUS way running rugby style…”. He was also pushing “it must be an AUS coach…”. It was cringe worthy and very naive. So if quite a number of our fellow Roarers here are from Campo’s bygone era then that would explain many of their views similar to his. Leave the golden years in the past and evolve to the professional era boys.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
True, but this has been the case for twenty years now. It's the first time since the amateur era though that a current Wallaby has gone to the NRL.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
That does seem to be the way but agents also have to earn their money. In Europe it is play X has had an offer from a French club. I think at one stage Clermont were rumoured to be signing 6 top wingers to replace Peneaud.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
So the Top 15 League players earn 1m. And only three are able earn more than a WB that's fairly sad. Courtney Laws is being offered nearly $700k by a French second division side. The bigger question is what is the total earnings from League for their top player v the top RA earner when test money etc are added on.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Not really. If Oz had kept all their 10s and 15s at home how many of the exciting young 10s would even be starting. What player is going to hang around until he is nearly 25 before he is getting enough games, they will just go to NRL, go OS or worse stop playing. If RA could get more players in they get more out.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
In France it's the 9. I don't see others really taking the tee to kick sticks except those who played 10.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
BB was great until games became tighter and then his kicking became an issue. Look at Halfpenny or Pollard, being able to knock over anything in the oppositions half means they just need to play in the right areas.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
It surprises me how many conversions are missed in SR. They are points lost and if one team has a good kicker 3 tries converted is more than 4 not.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
And how many other players in the team kick sticks. I'm not seeing any forward today and very few backs kicking sticks.
Go Joe - Jo
Roar Rookie
It is indicates that he'd rather be spending his spare time playing golf than working on kicking drills
MrEflord
Roar Rookie
See ya! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out…..
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
I love both sports and sadly, I have to agree with you though not about the Bok thing
Jazz
Roar Rookie
You and many others have gravitated that way unfortunately, the worse thing is it never was piss poor in the past it was exciting to watch 15~20 years ago...now the issue is by the time WC 2027 comes around we will be still way behind.
ForeverBok
Roar Rookie
I am 78, and played Rugby until I was 35. Rugby was my life. Since coming to Australia, I have become a Rugby League convert. As I could not believe how piss poor Rugby is in Australia. Rugby League is faster, tougher, non stop action, and hugely exciting. I never miss a Rugby League game. The only time I ever watch Rugby now, is when my beloved Bokke are playing.