Wallabies 2025

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Maybe if he signed with the 'Tahs..

Don't do this. Please

What did Wilson sign for if anyone has an inkling because McReight is worth a good chunk more. Is this the position of Rugby in Aus though? Are we skewed by always hearing NRL salaries and their average being around 400k.

I'd like to see McReight offered a nice long contract with plenty of incentives and chances to get a stint in other comps when it fits.

 

[Major Tom]

Great talents but only Kalani has a Super Rugby start to his name and 9 across 5 seasons. He and Wilson are just starting to look like genuine pros. Gibson-Park's 33 and going well. Halfback has a lot of responsibility throughout the side that I think age does help as well.

It's probably the weakest position group so I can understand RA not wanting the current coaches pick at the spot to walk. Is he worthy of a big deal at other points of depth in the spot? Probably not, but hes the beneficiary of it not being.

I do agree re the others not starting. But we’re talking about a contracting squeeze. A tough call needs to probably needs to be made here. If I was RA I would say to Gordon, this is our offer we know you can get more, you’ve been a servant of the game, you go with our blessing and we’ll consider you for the wallabies in the future if you’re playing well enough. Save some coin and spend it on Fraser. This will be slammed by the media of course but it’s absolutely common sense.

People will forget pretty quickly once they see how good Wilson steers the team around. He’s been learning off Gordon since last year anyways. Id give him multiple starts this year to prepare them for life without him next year. This will also help manage Gordon’s workload for the wallabies too.

It’ll be interesting if Kiss is upgraded to the the top job. Gordon may fly the coop feeling Tate and Thomas may be favoured.

 

[Dctarget]

Don't do this. Please

What did Wilson sign for if anyone has an inkling because McReight is worth a good chunk more. Is this the position of Rugby in Aus though? Are we skewed by always hearing NRL salaries and their average being around 400k.

I'd like to see McReight offered a nice long contract with plenty of incentives and chances to get a stint in other comps when it fits.

Fraser has only 25 Wallabies caps. Harry is hanging around, surely they've got unfinished business.

I think you could probably offer 70-80% of what Japan does and he stays.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Don't do this. Please

What did Wilson sign for if anyone has an inkling because McReight is worth a good chunk more. Is this the position of Rugby in Aus though? Are we skewed by always hearing NRL salaries and their average being around 400k.

I'd like to see McReight offered a nice long contract with plenty of incentives and chances to get a stint in other comps when it fits.

Hooper, Tupou and JAS on $1m or more a year in recent times would make selling the lean times argument hard. Not sure about Wilson but agree McReight should be able to ask for more.

 

[JRugby2]

Surely McReight gets a Len deal too. I don't mind super being shit in 2026 if it means we're good for the big events

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't think Tupou is a great example. It's clearly a bad contract that won't be renewed at anywhere near that price point.

We can't offer the same amount as an overseas team trying to poach a player. That would be foolish. We should be able to pay McReight about 80% of it though. He's a critical player and easily one of the best we have.

 

[Derpus]

I feel like we should be able to afford 1m a year for one of our best players, really. We could with Hoops.

 

[Braveheart81]

I feel like we should be able to afford 1m a year for one of our best players, really. We could with Hoops.

The longstanding captain, one of the key faces of the game in Australia and a World Rugby player of the year nominee?

Hooper had already played 82 tests when he signed that deal.

Allowing a sabbatical for McReight certainly seems like a good option as part of his contract to juice it up a bit.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Hooper also got paid a premium for all of the promotional work he did as Wallaby and Waratah captain. (snap BH)

RA is also close to $60m poorer (probably at least) than they were in 2018, and are being sued for $30m at the moment.

Notwithstanding some significant revenue coming our way, there is a bit of a difference from 2018 to 2025

 

[Sword of Justice]

I don't think Tupou is a great example. It's clearly a bad contract that won't be renewed at anywhere near that price point.

We can't offer the same amount as an overseas team trying to poach a player. That would be foolish. We should be able to pay McReight about 80% of it though. He's a critical player and easily one of the best we have.

It has turned out to be bad value but if he’d stayed injury free it wouldn’t have been. People forget he was playing 75 mins week in and week out for QLD for years and sometimes the same for Australia when Ala'alatoa was out. It wasn’t a deal based on potential. Hooper’s deal was ‘bad’ on that basis.

I’m not necessarily against the JAS reasoning by RA but if McReight is getting offered just over half what he is overseas then you’d have to say they’ve erred a little on their sums.

 

[Braveheart81]

It has turned out to be bad value but if he’d stayed injury free it wouldn’t have been. People forget he was playing 75 mins week in and week out for QLD for years and sometimes the same for Australia when Ala'alatoa was out. It wasn’t a deal based on potential. Hooper’s deal was ‘bad’ on that basis.

I’m not necessarily against the JAS reasoning by RA but if McReight is getting offered just over half what he is overseas then you’d have to say they’ve erred a little on their sums.

My point is that I don't think it is reasonable to cite the Tupou deal as a reason why McReight should get $1m+ from Rugby Australia because I don't think we'd sign a deal like that again.

I also think the JAS deal isn't overly worthwhile citing. There's the thought that a chunk is being paid by a third party donor and likewise it was largely driven by McLennan who is no longer there. He also has a much higher profile than just about any of our other players. With the current leadership and financial climate I don't think we'd be offering that deal if we were considering it now.

I undoubtedly think that RA needs to increase their offer to McReight to somewhere around $700-800k a season.

 

[Tazzmania]

The way the media carry on about losing this player and that player, someone would think we were in the top 3 in world.

No player is bigger than the game and based on our current ranking losing a couple of players, means others will be given a chance to step up and maybe there will some hidden jewls that may get us into the higher ranking echelons, if not we will remain about the same however at a substantially lower (and more affordable) salary bill.

 

[Sword of Justice]

My point is that I don't think it is reasonable to cite the Tupou deal as a reason why McReight should get $1m+ from Rugby Australia because I don't think we'd sign a deal like that again.

I also think the JAS deal isn't overly worthwhile citing. There's the thought that a chunk is being paid by a third party donor and likewise it was largely driven by McLennan who is no longer there. He also has a much higher profile than just about any of our other players. With the current leadership and financial climate I don't think we'd be offering that deal if we were considering it now.

I undoubtedly think that RA needs to increase their offer to McReight to somewhere around $700-800k a season.

I think if we aren’t in a position to offer someone as good as Tupou or Hooper (at the time) that money again then RA cannot seriously contend with keeping selections almost entirely local. It’s just not feasible if they are half a mil off the price.

I am also really sceptical of the draw card value of players. Don’t get me wrong, JAS clearly has created interest but nothing will attract eyeballs like winning. It’s a hypothetical but I’m not sure JAS increases our chance of winning by almost twice McReight.

 

[LeCheese]

The way the media carry on about losing this player and that player, someone would think we were in the top 3 in world.

No player is bigger than the game and based on our current ranking losing a couple of players, means others will be given a chance to step up and maybe there will some hidden jewls that may get us into the higher ranking echelons, if not we will remain about the same however at a substantially lower (and more affordable) salary bill.

If you don't see the issue with losing one of our very, very few World XV contenders, then all hope may be lost...

 

[Tazzmania]

If you don't see the issue with losing one of our very, very few World XV contenders, then all hope may be lost...

Like all business wages are often your most expensive cost factor.

How many additional ranking places would you think keeping him would achieve as opposed to having someone else like Tizzano or Reimer filling that void, and is it cost effecient for a struggling business.

Sometimes a struggling business needs to get the best out of those that it can afford, they all cannot afford the best in business.

Hope that makes sense

 

[wamberal99]

Tizzano is not all that far behind McReight.

 

[cyclopath]

The way the media carry on about losing this player and that player, someone would think we were in the top 3 in world.

No player is bigger than the game and based on our current ranking losing a couple of players, means others will be given a chance to step up and maybe there will some hidden jewls that may get us into the higher ranking echelons, if not we will remain about the same however at a substantially lower (and more affordable) salary bill.

I disagree. Historically, most teams reach their highest ceiling with several players who are world-best or close to it.
The Wallabies are the bellwether for Aus rugby so we need to hold on to as many really good players as possible. A top 3 team would probably cope a little better as they likely have more really good players than us.
McReight is such a player. There is a reason why rich French (and other UK / Euro clubs) clubs pay top dollar for good players.

 

[LeCheese]

Tizzano is not all that far behind McReight.

In terms of a 7s core skills, probably not - but it's the 'extras' that make McReight a standout in any team he plays in.

 

[Strewthcobber]

McReight is such a player. There is a reason why rich French (and other UK / Euro clubs) clubs pay top dollar for good players.

Japan making the offer in this case. I get the feeling that the French clubs don't value 7s nearly as much as Australians do

 

[Major Tom]

In terms of a 7s core skills, probably not - but it's the 'extras' that make McReight a standout in any team he plays in.

To me it’s rugby IQ that stands out to me. The bloke always seems to be in the right place at the right time. It makes sense that teams are offering him this type of money.