JON get off your arse and buy us some Inglis

[disco]

I'd sign him if he were available. People deride our league converts but Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers were all very good players for the Wallabies (if not as good as they were at league) and Inglis is several classes better then any of those.

But at what price? The ARU has no money & I'm sure Inglis won't come cheap. If he did what Will Chambers did & signed midway through the NRL season for the standard $110,000 plus sponsorship deals then all good and well but Inglis is $600k plus.

 

[sevenpointdropgoal]

I am 100% against bringing him into union at this stage. He is simply a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.

Inglis is a phenomenally gifted player both athletically and in terms of skill set, but so long as he hasn't proved he wants to play union, we shouldn't take him. Why waste money on a player who has world class talent, but no drive to play the game? Motivation is still 80% of a player's worth. If he wants to play outside of mungo, and in union specifically, then he can go over to France, or Japan, or into the Club system, and play until he shows that a) he can cut it in union, and b) he really wants to play.





Incidentally that's 50 posts... avatar wise - I believe there is a drop goal waiting... hehe.

 

[Moses]

Incidentally that's 50 posts... avatar wise - I believe there is a drop goal waiting... hehe.

I know I was talking up Francois last night, but figured I'd much rather watch Larkham's effort in '99 on repeat

 

[Thomas]

If he's here for the money then he's here for the wrong reason!

 

[RugbyReg]

If he's here for the money then he's here for the wrong reason!

you don't think it'd be because of his life long love of rugby and desire to play for the Wallabies?

 

[lincoln]

Sorry - but the defensive requirements of a union 12/13 are huge (ie one miss = game gone) that he needs to hone his skills in Top 14 before he can be considered (aka SBW)

 

[Groucho]

But at what price? The ARU has no money & I'm sure Inglis won't come cheap. If he did what Will Chambers did & signed midway through the NRL season for the standard $110,000 plus sponsorship deals then all good and well but Inglis is $600k plus.

I agree, disco. Not at any price.

I'm not sure the ARU has no money. It's a pre RWC year so funds are low, but next year will be highly cash generative.

 

[dobduff11]

I have my doubts he could gas someone on the outside like a union 13 needs to do on occasion.

In all his highlights he is taking his outside man's space, all of them.

So your saying that you doubt he could take his man on the outside but at the same time saying every play he drifts across to take on his man. Haha

If he gets his weight down that would be one of his strength's especially with his monster fend. He has also never been run down from behind and been stopped in league, ever.

GI has only been a bit tubby for half a season and he still tore up with the storm.

 

[en_force_er]

Great player Greg Inglis but we probably need front rowers ATM not more outside backs.

Those front rowers aren't going to be coming from league. I mean Nic Henderson isn't awful but he isn't Wallaby material.

 

[Slim 293]

If we can score him for a bargain price I don't see why you wouldn't go after him:

- High Profile sure to lead to more exposure for the game.
- High Profile in the indigenous community.
- He's an amazing player, who has had one bad year, that wasnt even that bad.
- He could potentially play 8, 12, 13.
- Giteau gets payed far more and DOES far less I dont see what people are whining about.

I say throw a 2 year contract under his nose, tell him he has to lose 10-15 kgs and not make a fool of himself in public, and I'm confident the ARU will see a return on their investment.

I'm pretty sure Giteau DOES far more considering Inglis doesn't even play the game...

 

[sjg]

i wonder if the ARU has even considered saving their money for big marquee plays such as GI which typically publicity stunts and a gamble at best on their adaptabilty to union and invest the money saved into grassroots/development programmes where the funds are currently required, inturn (hopefully) paying dividends in the years to come with union stars being identified at a young age and supported through their development. too often we see the best and brightest from the schoolboy system picked up by NRL sides offering big bucks and 15minutes in the spotlight, maybe if the ARU started to show a genuine insterest in these boys as the were developing they would feel as if they belonged and were endebted to union - eventually rekindling the burnt out rugby culture in australia....maybe haha.

 

[TOCC]

i wonder if the ARU has even considered saving their money for big marquee plays such as GI which typically publicity stunts and a gamble at best on their adaptabilty to union and invest the money saved into grassroots/development programmes where the funds are currently required, inturn (hopefully) paying dividends in the years to come with union stars being identified at a young age and supported through their development. too often we see the best and brightest from the schoolboy system picked up by NRL sides offering big bucks and 15minutes in the spotlight, maybe if the ARU started to show a genuine insterest in these boys as the were developing they would feel as if they belonged and were endebted to union - eventually rekindling the burnt out rugby culture in australia....maybe haha.

i think you will find this is the path that the ARU is now going down, Timana was signed to a decent contract, but not near the proportions of Lote or Wendell

 

[sjg]

i think you will find this is the path that the ARU is now going down, Timana was signed to a decent contract, but not near the proportions of Lote or Wendell

ha well i should probably keep my misinformed rants to myself then, good to see that the ARU is backing up the roots nowdays.

 

[sevenpointdropgoal]

I know I was talking up Francois last night, but figured I'd much rather watch Larkham's effort in '99 on repeat

I'm pretty happy with that substitution. I'll have to invite some of my Saffa mates over here for a celebratory round of malicious gloating.

 

[TOCC]

ha well i should probably keep my misinformed rants to myself then, good to see that the ARU is backing up the roots nowdays.

in saying that, its not as though the money is been re-directed back towards the roots, more a case of not bleeding savings to nrl players

 

[JimboJoe1006]

That youtube clip shows some pretty incredible talent, but I don't think Greg is worth the risk. Given his recent track record, I don't think he would be willing to play a few seasons of Super rugby, earning far less than he could in France. In addition, he doesn't have the full skills-set to be a short/medium-term success in Rugby. Thirdly, in regarding to the 'star player' argument, if you consider how quickly the likes of Kurtley, Quade, Genia and Pocock have emerged as the players to get "bum on seats" then it should be realised that these tags come and go pretty quickly and the ARU should not make a significant investment to attract such a player, especially an untried one.

In saying this, I am not against the idea of importing more Mungo's and agree that JON and co. should perhaps be doing more to attract a top-quality player (Gaz/Foleau has two missed opportunites come to mind).

 

[Reddy!]

you don't think it'd be because of his life long love of rugby and desire to play for the Wallabies?

Ha yeh, pretty sure I have heard come out and say he hates rugby and would never ever play it in his life.

 

[fatprop]

no money, no chance

Fixture list takes a hit as Wallabies count the cost of World Cup
Marcus Braid
December 22, 2010

NORTHERN hemisphere countries will not play Tests in Australia next year after a contentious ruling by the International Rugby Board.

The Wallabies' domestic calendar was yesterday confirmed and Australia will not play any inbound or outbound Test matches with European sides in 2011. The Test season revolves around next year's World Cup in New Zealand.

The decision is bound to have financial ramifications for the ARU as the Wallabies will play only three domestic Tests, after playing seven home Tests this year. Tri Nations teams will only play each other twice next year and there will be no spring tour to Europe.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The Herald reported in May the ARU was facing a $16 million black hole due to the culling of five domestic Tests. ARU chief executive John O'Neill said at the time ''no one did a financial analysis of what this will cost''.

''Even factoring in the IRB grant of £3.5 million [$5.45 million] which we get paid, the net detriment is still $16m,'' O'Neill said in May. ''New Zealand and South Africa have also done their numbers, and the total comes to $36m for the three [SANZAR] countries.''

The IRB is under significant pressure from SANZAR to ensure this situation does not arise again in 2015 - the next World Cup year. The ARU yesterday announced the return of afternoon Test rugby.

The Wallabies will begin their season against Samoa with an unfamiliar 2pm kick-off at ANZ Stadium. The match on Sunday July 17 will be the first time Australia have played an afternoon Test match on home soil in six years. The Festival of Rugby will also take place on the day.

''There will be plenty of activity around pre and post game that will deliver a great experience for the fans in general,'' ARU official Peter Jenkins said. ''It gives us the opportunity to deliver a family friendly atmosphere for the opening Test match of the season. It's a massive season of opportunity for the Wallabies. To have them interact - particularly with the kids - at the front end of the season is very important.''

Australia returned this month from a spring tour in which they lost to England and Munster. Their most recent match was a thumping 59-16 win over France. Selectors will name a 40-man Wallabies squad shortly after the Super Rugby season ends in July.

 

[Lee Grant]

If money is to be spent on league players I would rather use it to target youngsters who play both codes at age 14/15 and make sure that we get our fair share of 50/50s into our code when they leave school. Since there are more pro league teams in Oz than union teams, more lads who like both sports equally and want to try out for a pro career go to league. There are more jobs and they have a short term target of getting into a Toyota Cup squad.

How the money is spent in the endeavour to lift the conversion rate to union is another subject.

Not to the point: but one reason why I think private schools rugby is a good thing for our sport is that it can turn the minds of 50/50 lads to our code and can even change the preferences of lads like Gilbert Beale who had never played rugby union before he got to high school.

 

[barbarian]

Shit, we are getting reamed. They say its because of an IRB ruling, but don't specify what that ruling is. Anyone know?