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Thanks - we're well into preparations for the season now. No big name recruitments - a real focus on retention and development of some promising young talent. Correct, Angus Cottrell will not be here for most of the season but I know from talking to him recently he's going to come back a lot...

Soccer to start, then league. Didn't play my first game of rugby until I was 22. Never played anything else again but still watch both soccer and league (I don't go for the mungo bashing because I see league has a place and quite enjoy watching it) ... and AFL and NFL (have developed a real...

Thanks Ruggo - a great opportunity for me to keep learning by working with a professional coach in Phil Mooney. The whole club is working hard to get Wests back into a competitive position - it has been a big slide since winning the Premier grade competition in 2006 and making the finals...

Spectator - Mitch Wade has played both #2 and #7 in the past. He was man of the match in University of Qld's win in the 2010 Premier Grade Grand Final playing at #7 but played #2 for University of Qld in Premier Grade in 2011 as James Hanson was only available for limited club games.

Lee - I watched the Smith twins playing in Brisbane this year for GPS. Excellent prospects - skills for big men are really good and can both scrummage really well. With more development through the Academy they have a big future. I think Sam Reiser will remain a lock. Not sure he'll have...

Here's a link to the article which includes the list of players and a link to the Podcast we recorded last night with Paul Carozza on how the Academy will work. http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/aru-national-academy/

We're interviewing Paul Carozza, who's the Brisbane Head Coach of the National Academy, for the Podcast next week . Once that's published, we'll publish an article with the list of players that are in the Academy.

Yes - he's being referred to as a Consultant Coach who's part time

2012 Head Coaches Sunnybank - ?? Brothers - Matt Kaye (from ACT) University - Mick Heenan (staying) GPS - Shane Arnold (2011 GPS Premier Colts coach) Easts - Pat Richards (staying) Norths - Lew Price?? (staying) Sunshine Coast - heard a new coach has been appointed but don't know his...

In an article in the Australian on Saturday Alan Gafney said he has embraced the strategy of new Waratahs coach Michael Foley, which is based on attacking kicking. The article says "Influenced by the Queensland Red's success in Super Rugby last season, the Waratahs will attempt to maintain...

Lee - confirm what Slim posted that EPS players are contracted to the Super Rugby teams so only they could agree to them playing elsewhere. The way it was explained is that if the Super Rugby teams need a player outside their 35 contracted players (squad of 30 plus 5 EPS) they will have to...

The ARU are saying they want every player in the National Academy to play every minute of every club game in the season (unless injured or called up by a Super team of course), hence no Academy games scheduled. On the encouragement front, clubs have been told that if a player is not...

Lee - all the players in the National Academy are paid by the ARU. Amounts vary from a few thousand dollars up to $15,000 a year.

There are no nomination limits (maximum or minimum) or quotas per club. The ARU is doing their own talent identification but also asking the head coaches of clubs to put forward any player they believe has the potential to play Super Rugby that has been missed.

Just the best players - no geographical or age quotas - also no requirement for players covering all positions. As they told us, if the Brisbane academy has five wingers out of the 30 they currently have, so be it. There is also no maximum number of players in the academies - main criteria is...

Pretty spectacular Reg. I couldn't work out what all the trophies are though - didn't know there were that many around.

Went to a meeting with ARU tonight explaining the Academy - lists of all players in Sydney and Brisbane were put up in the screen but don't ask me to remember them all - the presentation is being sent to attendees over the next few days so I presume the lists will be public by then. Confirm...

Finn - what positions have you played? What position/s do you aspire to play?

The info I heard is that it's not Link, but not who it is! Nucifora is still an ARU employee so he isn't the source. I have made the assumption that if it's not Link, it must be Nucifora. It makes sense given his elevation to the coaching staff. But I wonder what Deans' announcement that he...

Have heard from someone who should know (but is no longer an ARU employee) that Link is not the succession plan. Does not make any sense to me. Does anyone have any thoughts (or better still, info) on why JON is anti-Link?