Aussie Player Exodus

[Adam84]

There was that fuel additive guy.

Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau coming out of retirement for R360?

 

[Major Tom]

Allegedly he has committed to learning french..

now another french is targeting another 16 year old front rower from NSW, can’t remember name.

Hadn’t heard about that? They love our props

 

[Adam84]

Hadn’t heard about that? They love our props

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YET another talented Australian teenager is in the sights of a French club.

Weeks after dual-code 17-year-old star Heinz Lemoto signed with Toulouse, it can be revealed Australian under-16s star Hasani Bloomfield is being chased by another major French team.

The 16-year-old, who is in Year 11 at The Kings School, is a tighthead prop who is seen as a Taniela Tupou prototype.

He is already 186cm and 112kg, but will continue to grow. The French offer is for him to join after he finishes school next year, like Lemoto.

Bloomfield was contracted to the NSW Waratahs at just 14, such is his promise, but the French raiders continue to target some of the best young players here, much to the annoyance of Rugby Australia, who have sought World Rugby intervention to try to stop the poaching or force the clubs to pay higher release fees.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...e/news-story/708147729a5e012b81860f4d5f683e28

 

[dru]

Who the fuck would want to sign up to a business selling snake oil

What's the sign-on bonus? I'm listening...

 

[Derpus]

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Should be a class action for this nonsense.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Allegedly he has committed to learning french..

now another french is targeting another 16 year old front rower from NSW, can’t remember name.

Hasani Bloomfield. Great prospect.

Have watched both play in the last two weeks of the Syd GPS and it's a shame. Bloomfield is the better prospect IMO.

Lemoto is a powerful runner with an offload but I do wonder about his height long term at 8. He'd be shorter than Langi Gleeson who some people already question the effectiveness. He's a perfect League player tbh which is no surprise he's been apart of the Panthers junior system.

 

[Upthemaroon!]

Hasani Bloomfield. Great prospect.

Have watched both play in the last two weeks of the Syd GPS and it's a shame. Bloomfield is the better prospect IMO.

Lemoto is a powerful runner with an offload but I do wonder about his height long term at 8. He'd be shorter than Langi Gleeson who some people already question the effectiveness. He's a perfect League player tbh which is no surprise he's been apart of the Panthers junior system.

Can both of them still be picked for u18 and u20 wallabies outfits? Is there a way to keep them connected to RA while they play in France?

 

[Dctarget]

There's absolutely zero way we can retain these players unless:

1) They hate living in the south of France, getting paid a 3x what they'd get here and having great coaching set up. Really hope some of them are huge mumma boys and want to come home.

2) They're not good enough to be retained by the French system, then are they good enough for us to bring them home?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Can both of them still be picked for u18 and u20 wallabies outfits? Is there a way to keep them connected to RA while they play in France?

The way it's been recently I'd say no. Onitoni Large would have been in the Aus sides last year but left out before NSW selection due to signing with Manly.

Makasini won't be picked either now he's on a deal with the Tigers announced a day after the win over NZ last year...

 

[Dctarget]

Can both of them still be picked for u18 and u20 wallabies outfits? Is there a way to keep them connected to RA while they play in France?

Their contracts are designed with the explicit intent to poach and capture them for the French system. Whatever we come up with they'll just work out another way to make them exclusive.

They've been using the Southern Hemisphere's big boys for a while already and it's only going to get worse. I.e. Meafou, Uini Antonio, Willemse etc.

 

[Wilson]

Can both of them still be picked for u18 and u20 wallabies outfits? Is there a way to keep them connected to RA while they play in France?

There's nothing that strictly blocks it, but I doubt their French paymasters would allow it. I don't believe there's any equivalent of regulation 9 for age grade rugby to guarantee a release.

 

[Upthemaroon!]

That's a shame. I get that players that choose league get excluded from selection, but it would be a great way of keeping them playing rugby and connected to rugby in australia.

I do believe some espoir players get released from their french clubs for the REC (tier 2 in europe).

 

[Dctarget]

It really shits me. I love French rugby and they don't need to do this at all. They've got the largest playing population, most money, most supporters, biggest economy. No need to poach other struggling nation's talents. Just find some fat kid down by the ports in Marseille and feed him fondue for the next 5 years, it's not hard.

 

[Wilson]

I do believe some espoir players get released from their french clubs for the REC (tier 2 in europe).

That surprises me a bit, as I understand it would reset their qualification period as per regulation 8.1(c):

(c) the Player has been registered exclusively with a Union or Rugby Body in the country for sixty months immediately preceding the time of playing; or

Regulations | World Rugby

Information about the game's laws and regulations, including the World Rugby Laws app

www.world.rugby

Exclusive registration doesn't really leave any wiggle room, particularly given it includes Unions and not just clubs. This is a fairly recent change to the regulation though, it used to be based in residence rather than registration, which might not have been be reset by short stints away, so it could be a practice that will now end.

 

[Upthemaroon!]

That surprises me a bit, as I understand it would reset their qualification period as per regulation 8.1(c):

Regulations | World Rugby

Information about the game's laws and regulations, including the World Rugby Laws app

www.world.rugby

Exclusive registration doesn't leave any wiggle room, particularly given it includes Unions and not just clubs. This is a fairly recent change to the regulation though, it used to be based in residence rather than registration, which might not have been be reset by short stints away, so it could be a practice that will now end.

But I think they are still JIFF qualified in that way? I know Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain have a fair bit of espoirs playing in the ProD2 and Top14 that regularly get selected for u20 and XV of their birth nation.

 

[Major Tom]

Hasani Bloomfield. Great prospect.

Have watched both play in the last two weeks of the Syd GPS and it's a shame. Bloomfield is the better prospect IMO.

Lemoto is a powerful runner with an offload but I do wonder about his height long term at 8. He'd be shorter than Langi Gleeson who some people already question the effectiveness. He's a perfect League player tbh which is no surprise he's been apart of the Panthers junior system.

With Lemoto, has he finished growing? Some report his weight at 109kg and his height would be 6-6'1 if he's shorter than Langi. This is a long bow, but if he can get over the ball he may be in the Ardie Savea player mold. That would be something we've never had.

 

[Wilson]

But I think they are still JIFF qualified in that way? I know Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain have a fair bit of espoirs playing in the ProD2 and Top14 that regularly get selected for u20 and XV of their birth nation.

Yes, still qualified for JIFF, because JIFF rules are imposed by the LNR/FFR and don't (as I understand it) directly reference Regulation 8 or have a provision for exclusive registration. That may change in time to keep them fit for purpose.

I could also be wrong about the application of 'exclusive registration' in regulation 8 - it's so new that I'm not sure there's been much opportunity to test it yet. I don't really see how my reading of it could be wrong though (would likely come down to the definition of 'registration' with respect to rep sides), and if I was a country losing a player under these circumstances I'd be contesting it immediately.

 

[Dctarget]

But I think they are still JIFF qualified in that way? I know Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain have a fair bit of espoirs playing in the ProD2 and Top14 that regularly get selected for u20 and XV of their birth nation.

That's a good point and gives me a bit of hope.

 

[Major Tom]

We really are on a hiding to nothing. Our best backs get targeted by league and our best forwards targeted by France. Depressing. My only hope is that one of these players out of Leota, Pereira, Kite and this Bloomfield trickle back to our system over time.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

We really are on a hiding to nothing. Our best backs get targeted by league and our best forwards targeted by France. Depressing. My only hope is that one of these players out of Leota, Pereira, Kite and this Bloomfield trickle back to our system over time.

I will say that the majority of our best backs going to League is slightly off the mark. Yeah they are playing in the Sydney and Bris GPS comps but it's only because NRL sides have put them into the School and are still playing SG Ball League etc. Only a couple like Angus Crichton have been proper losses.

The French pillaging is far more dangerous to our future than NRL sides putting kids into Schools they trust to protect their assest. We actually get a chance to pinch a couple of them IMO if RA can get it right.