The ARU contracting system has never been ideal, but this new development (salary cap for the Super teams without any guaranteed top up) makes the situation worse. It would appear that there is now almost no chance that Australian teams can compete financially with the overseas market. My main issue is with the salary cap - why not just let the Super teams decide what they can afford? ("they are imbeciles" I guess is the response)
I don't want the ARU to spend more than it has, and I think play/performance payments are the way to go. I would add that the provincial salary cap should be raised (or even abolished), and the payments paid for Wallaby selection should be generous (to reflect the risk of injury or non selection - the ARU are essentially offering a 'casual rate'), and there need not be individual contracts (selection for the Wallabies equals X amount for training and Y amount for matches, open to all Wallaby eligable Super contracted players). If that, plus the opportunity to be a professional rugby player in Australia, and the honour of playing for Australia, is not enough - sayonara!
As far as Quade Cooper is concerned, I am not too keen to see him play for the Wallabies at the moment - great pass and great step, but for me he is not at the level (skills, attitude, maturity) I'd like to see. Maybe that will change. I realise that the majority will disagree with me on this. I would like to see him continue to play for Queensland - his style seems to work in that team and at that level, plus he will presumably improve as a player there too. On the other hand, there is something pleasing about the idea of him taking up boxing, as it would involve him being punched repeatedly
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