Rebels want Slater- $1 millon a year

[chief]

Money man ... Billy Slater. Source: Herald Sun

THE Melbourne Rebels are poised to stun an embattled rugby league by making an extraordinary offer of almost $1 million a season for Storm fullback Billy Slater.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the new rugby union franchise will make a firm bid for the Melbourne superstar within the next 10 days.

The Rebels have also made a gigantic offer for Brisbane champion Israel Folau. His deal is also believed to be worth nearly $1 million a year.

Slater, among the top three players in rugby league, is under contract with Melbourne until the end of next season.

But with the Storm having to shed $700,000 worth of talent before next year, he could be the first to go in the wake of the club's salary cap breach.

"Slater is an athlete. He would be the ideal fullback in rugby," a source close to the Rebels said. "It is just a matter of how much the ARU wants to tip in."

Slater is a true star in Melbourne, immediately recognisable even to AFL-mad residents.

The fledgling Rebels would strike an unbelievable blow for their code by managing to steal one of league's superstars.

An offer for Folau has been tabled. It too is believed to be massive.

Folau left the Storm after 2008 for Brisbane, claiming to be homesick. But it appears he has now overcome his homesickness and is considering the massive offer to jump codes.

Folau could strike a lethal combination in the centres at the Rebels with former Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock.

New Rebels chief executive Patrick Wilson was not revealing his clubs plans.

A Daily Telegraph analysis shows the market value of Melbourne's top five players exceeds all other clubs, except the Broncos.

The estimated value of Storm superstars Slater ($500,000), Greg Inglis ($500,000), Cameron Smith ($475,000), Cooper Cronk ($350,000) and Ryan Hoffman ($325,000) eats up a phenomenal $2.1 million of Melbourne's $4.1m salary cap allowed for their top 25 players.

The average wage of the Storm's remaining 20 players on their roster is only $100,000.

With so much depth on their roster it's easy to understand why the Storm are so far above the cap.

Brisbane's top five players - Darren Lockyer ($500,000), Folau ($475,000), Justin Hodges ($425,000), Sam Thaiday ($350,000) and Peter Wallace ($325,000) might equal the market value of their Storm counterparts.

However, the Broncos' top-shelf talent quickly drops off.

If fact, no team in the NRL matches the Storm for overall talent. The Storm will have to shed at least one star player - if not two - to come back under the salary cap for 2011.

One Storm source said: "The Rebels would love to strike now given our situation."

Source: Herald Sun



Man I hope the Rebels do get this guy, fantastic for Rugby in Melbourne, and fantastic for the Wallabies. It has to look attractive for League players to play Union. I mean, playing in front of 80k in England instead of like 12k, being part of a proper RWC, and now having the oppurtunity to play in the Olympics. Next on the radar should be Izzy Folau.

 

[Scarfman]

Typical Sunday story, written by generalist sports writers, not rugby journos. Probably 100% based on a hare-brained league source who frequents early-openers to spend his gossip-money.

 

[waratahjesus]

love a good league writer, if melbourne make him an offer and he considers going, it would have to be at least twice as much as his market ale in league otherwise he wouldnt ever consider going. Guy is already getting more money that he can at another team.

i would prefer falua but slater would do well, not sure about his kicking though, its alot of money for a winger

 

[rugbywhisperer]

It would ne nice though,
how many hits can the Storm/league take.
Good ideas so long as he doesn't get carte blance to the ARU - he has to earn his wings and the right (which shouldn't be too hard for him).

 

[Blue]

love a good league writer, if melbourne make him an offer and he considers going, it would have to be at least twice as much as his market ale in league otherwise he wouldnt ever consider going. Guy is already getting more money that he can at another team.

i would prefer falua but slater would do well, not sure about his kicking though, its alot of money for a winger

Who is the falua bloke?

 

[chief]

love a good league writer, if melbourne make him an offer and he considers going, it would have to be at least twice as much as his market ale in league otherwise he wouldnt ever consider going. Guy is already getting more money that he can at another team.

i would prefer falua but slater would do well, not sure about his kicking though, its alot of money for a winger

Who is the falua bloke?

Israel Folau plays for Broncos

 

[cyclopath]

No, no, no. Not for $1 million. Have these idiots learned nothing.

 

[Pfitzy]

how many hits can the Storm/league take.

Depends who is supplying the coke.

cyclo is right - if he wants to play, don't make it like the last lot. Set him up a contract with win/try bonuses and give him basic wage.

 

[TOCC]

hey, if they can sign them through third party contracts and not aru top-ups then im all for it.

From a reds perspective hopefully it stops them from persuing Hynes

 

[steiner]

There will be substance to these rumours no doubt. It makes economic sense to pursue these two players given that they already have a profile in Melbourne, and the ARU will see that and support the bid no doubt. Both players are so talented it's hard to see how they won't be a success in the game. Both have the capacity to lure supporters just to see them play. They'll will want one or the other I'd say.

The Storm are in disarray, supporters disenchanted, strike a blow for rugby while the iron is hot, kick 'em while they're down.

Not that the Wallabies need them. There's enough talent as it is. But for the Rebels they would be invaluable.
That said, the prospect of Billy the Kid, running off flat, precision passes from Cooper or Genia for the Wallabies, is a mouth-watering one.

 

[Reddy!]

Signing somebody like Slater or Israel can only be a good thing for the game in Melbourne. But like TOCC said, it should be done using 3rd party sponsorship and a certain Wallaby place should not be on the table.

 

[Ruggo]

Slater would make a great winger. He has the evasive skills an the pace. I don't know about full back though.

one million is a joke though.

 

[fatprop]

love a good league writer, if melbourne make him an offer and he considers going, it would have to be at least twice as much as his market ale in league otherwise he wouldnt ever consider going. Guy is already getting more money that he can at another team.

i would prefer falua but slater would do well, not sure about his kicking though, its alot of money for a winger

Who is the falua bloke?

Israel Folau plays for Broncos

He is a big, very fast and athletic winger/centre, 21yro 195 cm and 103 kg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1XVg3L2uAk



Slator is only 27, a great running kick return fullback

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcIcjZ_w42I

 

[Groucho]

The crucial thing about players like Slater and Folau will be their effect on gate takings. There is a far greater chance of getting bums on seats, outside existing rugby enthusiasts, with names like these on board. This is propably why Cipriani was a good buy as well.

I think that even at $1m a pop these guys may pay for themselves in a city like Melbourne where there is such a large pool of generalist sports fans to attract. A single bumper crowd can bring in that much money.

Of course, Slater is also a potentially outstanding player, as is Folau. A back three of Slater, Folau and Cipriani would be awesome on the counter at S14 level.

 

[RugbyReg]

I have a hell of a lot more faith in Falou than Slater.

I have a theory where we need to bypass the flashy (Dell, Lote, Rogers, Blacklock) type of players, which would be Slater, and focus on the honest hard workers (Shifcofske, Cross, Ryan, Thorn) of which Falou would be.

 

[Groucho]

I have a hell of a lot more faith in Falou than Slater.

I have a theory where we need to bypass the flashy (Dell, Lote, Rogers, Blacklock) type of players, which would be Slater, and focus on the honest hard workers (Shifcofske, Cross, Ryan, Thorn) of which Falou would be.

Slater is a another class of flashy, compared to that lot Noddy. Maybe Rogers at his best was comparable.

 

[Hawko]

love a good league writer, if melbourne make him an offer and he considers going, it would have to be at least twice as much as his market ale in league otherwise he wouldnt ever consider going. Guy is already getting more money that he can at another team.

i would prefer falua but slater would do well, not sure about his kicking though, its alot of money for a winger

Who is the falua bloke?

Israel Folau plays for Broncos

Slater is 27, Folau 21 so Folau should be more mouldable than Slater. But, if you look at the highlight reels Slater would make a better broken-field runner than Folau who appears to be big and fast but less evasive. Folau seems to be best in the air taking marks ala AFL. Could be a good signing for the Bulls with Steyn and du Preez in the side kicking bombs.

 

[en_force_er]

how many hits can the Storm/league take.

Depends who is supplying the coke.

cyclo is right - if he wants to play, don't make it like the last lot. Set him up a contract with win/try bonuses and give him basic wage.

Agreed. I have no qualms if Billy gets a million dollars a year if he plays like a million dollar a year player. If he plays like Tahu though, he should be earning a pretty basic wage.

I hope the Rebels would be targeting ex-union players like Cooper Cronk and not could-be players like Folau or Slater.

 

[Epi]

A league superstar will put bums on seats down here. I'd be targeting Cronk too but Slater is probably the biggest star of all.

 

[James Buchanan]

A league superstar will put bums on seats down here. I'd be targeting Cronk too but Slater is probably the biggest star of all.

I'm not sure (I don't know league very well). Amongst my generalist sports fan friends Inglis seems to be the most well known one. He also seems to have youth on his side.