Friday’s top rugby news has the NRL looking at cap exemptions for Izzy, White on why Smith was benched, Richard Brown leaving the Force and a growing push for global calendar.
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NRL ponders Izzy exemptions
The saga concerning where Israel Folau will play in 2014 continues to roll on. It appears that the review of the NRL salary cap currently taking place may be looking at ways to poach Folau back to the 13-man game. The Australian is reporting that serious consideration is being given to allowing players signed from Rugby to be either partially or fully exempt from the NRL salary cap.
It will be interesting to see where all this is headed. A total exemption for Rugby players could see an old school Rugby League raid on our playing stocks. Some of the more cashed up clubs may find signing highly talented players, especially those with a League background, totally outside the bounds of the salary cap too hard to resist.
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White explains Smith benching
In somewhat of a surprise move, George Smith will start from the bench in this week’s Super Rugby clash with the Force. Coach Jake White has stuck with Colby Fainga’a in the starting side. The coach explained yesterday that the decision was in part due to Fainga’a’s excellent recent form, including his starring performance in the Brumbies bonus-point victory over the Rebels, when the ACT side’s Wallaby players were in camp.
The coach also has one eye on the Brumbies looming finals campaign, their first since 2004, saying “we’re going to need his experience, I’m going to need him to be 100 per cent.” A number of times, White also reiterated the fact that the decision had nothing to do with the concussion that Smith suffered early in the third Test last week.
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Support for global calendar
A proposal put forward by the International Rugby Players’ Association for changes to the global playing calendar seems to be garnering support in a lot of quarters. The proposal would see Super Rugby completed in one block by June, followed by tours from Northern Hemisphere sides. The Rugby Championship would then follow, in its current place on the calendar.
The proposal would also see the Northern Hemisphere domestic season pushed back a month, which has gained support from Mark McCafferty, chairman of English Premiership Rugby. He sees the proposal as a “unique opportunity to get some alignment between the north and the south” and believes that talks should take place as soon as possible.
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Richard Brown heading to Japan
Richard Brown has announced that he will be leaving the Force at season’s end to join the Honda Heat in Japan’s Top League. Brown is a foundation member of the Western Force franchise, racking up 89 caps for the Perth side as well as 23 for the Wallabies. Explaining his decision, Brown said he was keen to avoid the “risk of becoming stale and that wouldn’t have been good for either me or the club”.
Brown will not be without friends at the Heat. Already there are former Force player Cameron Shepherd and former Waratah Sam Harris, while another former Force player Haig Sare is on the Heat coaching staff.
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