Aussie Player Exodus

[Braveheart81]

Just to clarify, what exactly are you guys debating?

Bullrush is making the assertion that the players leaving after the RWC that are still shy of 30 and still amongst the Wallaby set up are a sign that Australian players care less about playing for the Wallabies than NZ players do about playing for the All Blacks.

 

[Gnostic]

They aren't any different that's the point. What they have is an opportunity to earn significant money in one particular career, which for most of them there will not be the same opportunity to earn similar money in the future. No one anywhere in the rugby playing world is going to earn a lifetime's wages in a 10-15 year period. That has never been the argument so I don't know where you've come from with that idea. A few tennis players and golfers would be able to.

So they face exactly the same career choices as we all do at some stage, money being but one factor. I sassume that all of us make career choices with some thought to the future and how we will look after ouselves and our families. But the idea that a person (any person not just sportsmen) should take a certain career path for less money because it gives other people some enjoyment is bizarre.

That isn't what you stated.

A Wallaby jersey doesn't pay the mortage or the school fees in 20 years time.

Now consider the Mean wage (not the average) and consider that those people, the vast majority of the fan base will be paying off their mortgage till the day they kark, not worrying if their highly paid entertainment career will get them enough dosh in 10 years to pay for everything they will need. That is the point that 99% of posters do get @ IS.

People will take what ever career path they want, for the reasons they choose, it is their choice, but they must accept the downsides to it as well, and the downside in the entertainment industry is that the respect one is afforded for a moral stance may in the long term yield results both financial and personal or it very well may not, but the fact remains that taking the cash early is frowned upon by many inside the standard deviation.

 

[Gnostic]

I think judging someone's test career in terms of trophies they've won is a bit myopic. It is only one aspect of it. Of course the players would like to win more trophies but I don't think that relates so much to pride in the jersey and representing their country etc.

Not every team is going to be successful as the All Blacks (particularly in an era where the All Blacks have been so successful) and if your chief drive is purely down to winning the Bledisloe and winning the RWC you might end up finishing your career feeling pretty unfulfilled.

I agree totally with regards to trophies, they are only one indicator and not a great one in a team sport. But we can all cite a litany of players who have won a lot of caps that never reached the heights in terms of performance they could of for a variety of reasons. For those individuals leaving and taking the cash is often the easy road and a wasted opportunity. But then in working life I've see many highly paid people coasting along like that, leaving on a sideways transfer (or a promotion) when they start getting asked to do more because they are truly able and are not fulfilling the potential that earned them the job in the first place.

 

[Quick Hands]

That isn't what you stated.



Now consider the Mean wage (not the average) and consider that those people, the vast majority of the fan base will be paying off their mortgage till the day they kark, not worrying if their highly paid entertainment career will get them enough dosh in 10 years to pay for everything they will need. That is the point that 99% of posters do get @ IS.

People will take what ever career path they want, for the reasons they choose, it is their choice, but they must accept the downsides to it as well, and the downside in the entertainment industry is that the respect one is afforded for a moral stance may in the long term yield results both financial and personal or it very well may not, but the fact remains that taking the cash early is frowned upon by many inside the standard deviation.

You need to read more than one post to get the context of the comment.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Now consider the Mean wage (not the average) and consider that those people, the vast majority of the fan base will be paying off their mortgage till the day they kark, not worrying if their highly paid entertainment career will get them enough dosh in 10 years to pay for everything they will need. That is the point that 99% of posters do get @ IS.

That isn't the point at all: that's like bitching because your doctor earns more than you do.
I was aiming my comment at people - and there are plenty on here - that think these blokes leave (whenever they choose to do so, early or late in their career) "so they can set themselves up".
With a few exceptions that doesn't happen: I don't imagine the utterly great Matt Burke is reading sport on 10 for a hobby and one could be forgiven for thinking that he would have been in the 1%.

 

[Quick Hands]

I think that this thread has now entered the realm of the absurd.

 

[TOCC]

On another topic Nigel Genia and Souths Premier Grade winger Keeghan Sefton has been signed to a Romanian team.. Yep.. Romania...



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[Omar Comin']

On another topic Nigel Genia and Souths Premier Grade winger Keeghan Sefton has been signed to a Romanian team.. Yep.. Romania.

The Romanian SuperLiga is a partly professional competition. Quite a few Tongans and other international players involved in it now. Sosene Anesi (1 cap All Black) is there for example.

 

[Quick Hands]

Sosene Anesi (1 cap All Black) is there for example.

Leaving NZ for money

 

[Bairdy]

Anesi doesn't value the black jersey enough. He has a few years left in him to add more ABs caps to his name.

Money-whore.

 

[qwerty51]

The Romanian SuperLiga is a partly professional competition. Quite a few Tongans and other international players involved in it now. Sosene Anesi (1 cap All Black) is there for example.

Quite a few fringe Super Rugby players from the Shute Shield too headed over.

 

[swingpass]

this thread has strayed far and wide from when i posted. the pre RWC exodus thus far has been pretty small, certainly compared to the stampede i thought might have happened. quite clearly players here, in NZ and SA will all have their own reasons for going OS. my general feeling is that as rugby is now a global game people will ply their profession wherever they feel they get the best deal (not just $$$). this is not surprising, actually more surprising that as many have stayed in OZ as have. i think that most players would try to maximise income during their short playing careers, for the vast majority it will definitely not be enough to set them up for life.

 

[swingpass]

You don't think that a few of the current ABs have been offered bigger money to play in France or Japan or somewhere else in Europe?

And yet they have stayed...

might be stupidity not loyalty

 

[qwerty51]

I think the exodus has been huge. However only one significant player of note who would be a certain starter: Kepu.

 

[Omar Comin']

One positive is that the growing number of professional opportunities in rugby should make the game more attractive for elite juniors. The NRC will become a shop front for young players looking to pick up professional contracts all around the world.

At the moment rugby league so often wins the battle of the 16 year olds having to make a decision one way or the other because there's more opportunities in the NRL and the pathway is clearer. While the NRL might add a couple more teams in the next 5-10 years, the number of professional rugby teams in the world will surely increase a lot more.

 

[Omar Comin']

Quite a few fringe Super Rugby players from the Shute Shield too headed over.

No doubt the Romanian national team will improve as a result. Hopefully they get back to their 80's era level when they had several wins over 5 nations teams.

 

[qwerty51]

Which is why the NRL disbanding their u20s comp is such a huge mistake for them.

 

[Dan54]

I think apart from the lure of money, don't you all think just a lifestyle change is behind many of these players heading overseas, always struck me as an awesome way to spend a few years, lets face it most players that go have grown up playing the game in their respective countries etc, so the chance to actually spend real time in countries like France/England/Spain etc must also be very appealing, not only to players but to their families. Hell I know of a young fella from Levin in NZ who had a season or 2 playing semi pro stuff in Sweden. One of rugby's great attractions is perhaps what frustrates us all a bit.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Which is why the NRL disbanding their u20s comp is such a huge mistake for them.

Not exactly disbanding it, though, but replacing it with 2 x U21 comps run in parallel with the NSW & Queensland Cups which are virtually the old Reserve Grade in drag. More teams than the old U20's incl from PNG (Q Cup) & unless it's fallen over Fiji (NSW). If anything this represents a bigger threat in terms of player drain than the old setup.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I think apart from the lure of money, don't you all think just a lifestyle change is behind many of these players heading overseas, always struck me as an awesome way to spend a few years, lets face it most players that go have grown up playing the game in their respective countries etc, so the chance to actually spend real time in countries like France/England/Spain etc must also be very appealing, not only to players but to their families. Hell I know of a young fella from Levin in NZ who had a season or 2 playing semi pro stuff in Sweden. One of rugby's great attractions is perhaps what frustrates us all a bit.

True but most of the really good young players who are a real shot of wearing their respective national jersey do hang around and try and get the jersey.

The others do look for a combination of money and lifestyle playing a game they genuinely enjoy ( while they the opportunity )