Barnes joins Tahs!

[Grandmaster Flash]

Reds star Berrick Barnes joins Super 14 rivals Waratahs

BERRICK Barnes has signed a shock one-year deal to move to the NSW Waratahs for 2010 in a huge blow to the revival hopes of rugby union's Queensland Reds.

It is the worst possible news for the battling Reds, who lose not only their shrewdest midfield organiser but also the impressive leader of off-field standards.

Wallabies flyhalf-inside centre Barnes, 23, rang Reds coach Phil Mooney this morning to inform him of the decision.

It is the surprise finale to more than four months of drawn out negotiations. Mooney said he was confident that Barnes would re-sign with the Reds as late as last week.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25851737-10389,00.html

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

 

[Scarfman]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

[Ash]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I know which one the Reds are doing right now. Mooney must be pretty pissed off.

Makes sense that the Tahs would be desperate to sign inside back Barnes and make a huge offer after the loss of two outside backs, right? I would've thought they would've done that to Ioane. Maybe they think that Ioane will follow...

 

[Lee Grant]

Am very disappointed for Queensland and Oz rugby.

What was Barnes thinking - he is a marvellous player but he will be a bit of a square peg in a round hole down here and we have enough square pegs here already.

Ioane would be a different story - he moves around a bit - but Barnes seemed like pure Queensland.

Bloody hell.

 

[Scarfman]

I've had a few minutes to think about this.

1. It's very very good news for the Tahs. He will improve our backline enormously. Not sure what you mean Lee? Seems like a kick-to-the-corners 10/12 would suit our piggies perfectly.

2. It's good news for Berrick personally - he is one of Australia's best players and I don't think he enjoyed having to do everything himself. He looked pretty fed up at times last year when he got no protection from his forwards or help from Quade.

3. It's awful nail-in-the-coffin news for QLD. Which is bad news for some good players, esp. Horwill, who must be fucking dirty at Berrick.

4. What does it mean to all those QLD Schoolboys who win every year? Go to league? Move to Sydney? Opportunities for yougsters the Reds? Hard to say.

 

[Ash]

I've had a few minutes to think about this.

2. It's good news for Berrick personally - he is one of Australia's best players and I don't think he enjoyed having to do everything himself. He looked pretty fed up at times last year when he got no protection from his forwards or help from Quade.

Doubt that. I tend to agree with Lee with what was he thinking - Barnes seems like pure Queensland. I don't think that, on a personal level, that Barnes would be happy about leaving. And neither do I think that he'll be partically happy living in Sydney.

The fallout at the Reds and QRU will be interesting. Maybe it will get the needed result and the Reds will clean out their board. And maybe pigs might fly. Ultimately, I doubt this is good for Australian rugby.

How long until the ARU steps in at the Reds?

And this means that Ioane is as good as gone from the Reds?

 

[Scarfman]

I reckon it's good for Al Baxter, it's good for Benn Robinson, it's good for Tatafu Polota-Nau, it's good for ... you get my point.

I know there's a downside here, but it's not so clear to me that this is bad overall for Australian rugby. My favourite two sides are the Tahs and Brumbies. I'm really excited by that contest.

 

[Newb]

wow pretty shocked by this. i thought for sure he would stay. had that future captain look about him.

it will be interesting to see what he puts out as a statement. probably will be watered-down vanilla quality but he might take a few shots at Reds/QRU management types.

tahs are looking stacked after this even after losing lote and tahu. berrick, hangers, beale, horne, turner, mitchell. especially if they can get digby to follow. looooook out!!

this looks like them countering the brumbies moves. i agree with scarfy that barnes can do for the tahs what he's been trying to do with the wallabies - tactical kicking while organizing the backline. and he'll have something to organize as opposed to at the reds, no offense. i think he has to get better with the tahs. playing the loose and free game at the reds was in direct conflict with robbie's style.

i feel for queenslanders though. if any player could help right the ship, berrick was certainly of that caliber. might call him selfish for jumping ship but maybe he didn't want that responsibility. maybe he just wants to win and focus on making himself better instead of a whole team/organization. that's a lot to take on.

and karmichael hunt is going to the AFL!! :lmao: sad day for brisbanites (?) in both codes.....

 

[formeropenside]

this is totally, utterly fucked

Its a complete refusal to stand up and be counted by Barnes. "Loves Queensland" my arse.

 

[Ash]

I reckon it's good for Al Baxter, it's good for Benn Robinson, it's good for Tatafu Polota-Nau, it's good for ... you get my point.

I know there's a downside here, but it's not so clear to me that this is bad overall for Australian rugby. My favourite two sides are the Tahs and Brumbies. I'm really excited by that contest.

Unfortunately, it's bad for James Horwill, Will Genia, Digby Ioane (I heard a rumour he signed two or three days ago at the Reds!), Peter Hynes, etc. Plus potential superstars like Morahan. All guys who are Wallabies, some who are young and whose development will suffer due to a very weak side. Remember Barnes, despite his young age, was a real leader in the team (and this might be one of the reasons he's leaving).

Sadly, it's now looks like it'd be best for Horwill, Genia, Ioane (if rumours are true), Hynes and any borderline Wallabies at the Reds to all find different teams as soon as possible unless a minor miracle happens with the Reds performance next year.

If your favourite side is the Tahs and you don't mind Australian rugby suffering, then you should be happy. But Australian rugby needs more than one or two competitive teams to be strong in the long run.

Personally, I'm still a little wary if Barnes can magically fix the problems in the Tahs backline anyway as people will now expect. The Tahs backline improved towards the end, but still have a long way to go. That Tahu was voted their best back yet spent half the year on the bench and only played a few really good games speaks wonders.

Anyway, it's heading towards a big nasty death knell for the Reds, who would now be outright favourites for the wooden spoon.

 

[cheezel]

What a dick! The reds tried extremely hard to accommodate him after he had a whinge and people lost their jobs because of it.

Not good enough Berrick. What kind of a name is Berrick anyway, pfft!

 

[formeropenside]

This is dreadful for Queensland rugby, and therefore Australian rugby. When Queensland are strong, so are the Wallabies.

I dont know if Barnes thinks he can come back after a 1-year deal with a pile of changes made to Queensland rugby to suit him, but after this stab in the back, I would never offer him a contract again, if it were up to me.

And he'll cop a real booing at Suncorp next season.

EDIT: on thinking about it, I suppose the Tahs need him more than we do. Lucas and Cooper can step up to 10 as required, and young Jono Lance is coming along. God knows the Tahs need a quality 10, and it is only appropriate that at long last it turns out to be a Queenslander.

 

[waratahjesus]

this is crazy!
as a tahs fan im excited beyond belief, berrick is one of my favourate players but i didnt think he was going to leave in a million years. even though im happy i to wish qld ould retain players like him and we could get back to real nsw and qld derbys!

the 1 year deal seems weird to. if its thinking he can go bak to qld if they change, he wants to see what the move is like before commiting to longer or if its to do with hickeys contract running out this year and wanting to know who the coach is, a one year contract seems odd, especially with the world cup the year after, you would think at least two.

 

[Scotty]

The strange thing is the 1 year deal. It doesn't even take him to the next RWC, so he is obviously not sure himself.

I have an empty feeling in my stomach - and it isn't because I haven't had lunch yet.

 

[Lee Grant]

Scarfie,

What I meant by him being a square peg in a round hole is that he will be a stranger in a strange land. Others here are square pegs for rugby reasons. The Tahs have a few goodish backs but the square pegness of them, not complementing each other, means that the fine work of their forwards doesn't translate into enough tries.

The only time we saw a fluid backline was in 2 of the 3 games in the RSA last season and from that lot Tahu has gone from the midfield.

The above is a generalisation, sure - and maybe Barnes is just the guy to change things.

But hell - if people can't feel sorry for Queensland rugby as I do, feel sorry for Oz rugby.



Scotty - the feeling you have may be that you think it was too late for him to get a good deal in Europe France and may go next year.

The strikeout is because the euro is a lot stronger than the pound these days.

 

[RugbyReg]

Devastated

 

[fatprop]

NSW Waratahs coach Chris Hickey has confirmed Wallabies inside back Berrick Barnes will join the Super 14 team next year after turning his back on the struggling Queensland Reds.
It is understood Barnes has signed for one year with another one year option in his favour.

"We are very pleased Berrick has made the decision to play with us," Hickey said.

"He is a quality footballer. He will bring everything he has given Queensland and is giving the Wallabies.

"Berrick's strength is his all round game. He is a strong defender, a good kicker and a ball player."

Barnes delayed making a decision about his future until the Reds completed a review into their operations, but he was unconvinced about the future direction of the team.

But the main reason for his move to Sydney was his desire to play in his preferred five-eighth position.

At Queensland, Barnes swapped between five-eighth and inside centre with fellow Wallabies inside back Quade Cooper.

Barnes is expected to start at five-eighth for the Waratahs with Kurtley Beale at inside centre.

"We will look at playing Berrick at five-eighth," Hickey said. "He allows us to play with two playmakers.

"We have versatility. Everyone in the backline can play two or three positions."

The signing of Barnes offsets the losses of rugby league converts Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu.

"We would have liked to have kept both of those players, but signing Berrick is a huge plus," Hickey said.

The Waratahs will continue their search for a foreign winger and second rower.

Hangers is going to get some splinters

 

[Scarfman]

Scarfie,

What I meant by him being a square peg in a round hole is that he will be a stranger in a strange land. Others here are square pegs for rugby reasons. The Tahs have a few goodish backs but the square pegness of them, not complementing each other, means that the fine work of their forwards doesn't translate into enough tries.

The only time we saw a fluid backline was in 2 of the 3 games in the RSA last season and from that lot Tahu has gone from the midfield.

The above is a generalisation, sure - and maybe Barnes is just the guy to change things.

But hell - if people can't feel sorry for Queensland rugby as I do, feel sorry for Oz rugby.

Well, I clearly care about Australian rugby now and into the future. I have real concerns about the decline of QLD rugby. However, I was at Suncorp watching RED v HUR in Round 14 this year, and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of sympathy for Berrick Barnes.

I think this is positive for Barnes, one of the Wallabies' most important players, and positive for all the Waratahs playing for Australia, positive for Beale and Halangahu who finally have someone to show them how to play.

Anyway, I've made my point.

 

[Lee Grant]

Scarfie - have just read what I wrote. Didn't mean that you didn't think first about Oz rugby or had no sympathy for Qld rugby - just anticipating a few Tahs gloats.

 

[TOCC]

this is fucked, i officially dont give a rats arse about rugby anymore...

seriously, this is fucken disgusting, how can the ARU stand by and let something like this happen, Berricks value to the Reds is a whole lot more then what he is worth to NSW, yet the ARU wont let him get paid any more by QLD..

fuck berrick, fuck the qru and the aru

im out