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Aussie Player Exodus

Adam84

Rod McCall (65)
Wages lag in pro rugby, Hunter P hasn't been great for a couple years, a few games this year aren't going to immediately turn into mega wages

Unless you know the details of the salaries that players are discussing with agents and clubs, it’s a bit disingenuous to suggest it is ‘mega wages’
 

PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Is Hunter P really a top-tier salary? I would have thought he'd be on whatever fringe Wallaby/squad members are on.
I don't think you could say he would definitely be selected for the Wallabies this year, let alone in 2026, which is what you would be paying for.

Probably why he's looking OS

I think for the purposes of generalisation, anyone being offered a top up by RA can be considered in the 'top tier' of the players here onshore. There are far less in that category than the rest of the playing group.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
I think for the purposes of generalisation, anyone being offered a top up by RA can be considered in the 'top tier' of the players here onshore. There are far less in that category than the rest of the playing group.
Do we know how many players are on a RA top-up?

If Ben Donaldson made the cut this year, my assumption is there must be quite a few
 

PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Do we know how many players are on a RA top-up?

If Ben Donaldson made the cut this year, my assumption is there must be quite a few

My understanding is there are about 180 fully contracted players in Australia and out of those there are roughly 35 who receive RA top ups.

Donaldson probably got one because he’s one of three players who are in the onshore flyhalf mix based on the last contract cycle. The top ups aren’t all equal either, but for someone on a lower grade contract, RA throwing in an additional $50k per year makes a big difference.

6 props
3 hookers
5 second rowers
6 back rowers
3 half backs
3 fly halves
4 centres
8 outside backs

Would be my guess of what it looks like. I am guessing there are probably circumstances like right now where for example we don’t exactly have great prop depth so maybe only 4 guys (Taniela, Bell, AAA, Slipper) are getting top ups, with a guy like Nonggorr potentially on the hook for one later this year.

If my numbers are still correct or thereabouts, that’s around 20% of the players getting additional funds from RA.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Harry Wilson* signs multi year deal with the Dragons.

*of the Waratahs.
Very glad I saw the news elsewhere first.

Powers that be at the tahs have bottled this one, to lose Perese and then his promising young backup a month later is an absolute mess. Big question for them now is probably what happens with Teddy, there's been plenty of talk that he's not exactly ecstatic with how things are going.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Very glad I saw the news elsewhere first.

Powers that be at the tahs have bottled this one, to lose Perese and then his promising young backup a month later is an absolute mess. Big question for them now is probably what happens with Teddy, there's been plenty of talk that he's not exactly ecstatic with how things are going.
Apparently Mosese has also signed to goto Scotland
 

eastman

John Solomon (38)
Very glad I saw the news elsewhere first.

Powers that be at the tahs have bottled this one, to lose Perese and then his promising young backup a month later is an absolute mess. Big question for them now is probably what happens with Teddy, there's been plenty of talk that he's not exactly ecstatic with how things are going.
Perese would be after more money than they could probably afford, especially considering they signed Sua'ali'i and likely marked him for outside centre.

With Foketi, Walton and Sua'ali'i in the centres, we probably have adequate coverage there and can look for depth beyond that (especially if Wilson wants a raise).

Not sure its the debacle you are making it out to be.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Perese would be after more money than they could probably afford, especially considering they signed Sua'ali'i and likely marked him for outside centre.

With Foketi, Walton and Sua'ali'i in the centres, we probably have adequate coverage there and can look for depth beyond that (especially if Wilson wants a raise).

Not sure its the debacle you are making it out to be.
Losing Perese was understandable, and somewhat out of their hands given where he is at in his career, but Wilson should've been retained as a result. It's not the end of the world, but I didn't say it was either - I said they bottled it, it being their management of the centres on their list and I think it's pretty clear they have. If they lose Tuipuloto as well they'll be down to a regularly injured Walton as their only experienced outside centre and Foketi as their only experienced inside centre. The rest will be project players like Sua'ali'i or bringing in new players to the squad.

That's a solid setback to building midfield cohesion and one that was looks like it was pretty avoidable. They've also already missed out on Guy Porter who would've been one of the better candidates to recruit to fill these gaps.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
News Corp stirring the pot as per usual. The timing is impeccable given this afternoon's meeting
Whether he’s stepping, limping, spewing, complaining or simply batting his eyelids, Walsh glues eyeballs to the game because nobody wants to miss the next swan dive or subsequent cut-away vision of an enraged boomer.

This makes him virtual money in the bank, and that’s why Peter V’landys (the horse racing guy) needs to intervene before the 21 year old does something stupid, like sign with rugby.

Currently tied to Brisbane until the end of 2025 on a modest deal, rumours abounded last month of Walsh signing a five year upgrade worth $1.2m per year, but these were shot down by the man himself.

Either way, even though this amount could easily buy him a suburb in Brisbane, it’s chump change compared to the beefed-up contracts offered in global rugby.

Put simply, European rugby print their own money and Rugby Australia neglect theirs, and that’s what makes the rival code so dangerous.

French clubs have the advantage of no salary cap, and even though 80% of their turnover is funnelled to Israel Folau and Eddie Jones, Rugby Australia won’t hesitate to starve grassroots or a Super Rugby club to fund a unicorn raid.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Oof... I find myself agreeing with Newscorp. Dark days.

1714704731147.gif
 

LevitatingSocks

Alfred Walker (16)
if you locked ChatGPT in a room for 5 years with the 10am Tuesday pub regulars and then asked it to write an article that would annoy as wide a sporting demographic as possible, it might result in that collection of letters, spaces, and punctuation
 

Ignoto

Peter Sullivan (51)
signing a five year upgrade worth $1.2m per year, but these were shot down by the man himself.

Either way, even though this amount could easily buy him a suburb in Brisbane, it’s chump change compared to the beefed-up contracts offered in global rugby.

Buy him a suburb?
 
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