From the Manly Daily
NEW Manly Rugby club president David Begg has launched a stinging attack on the Brumbies Super Rugby franchise over the decision to force their Marlins’ recruits to play in the “Micky Mouse” Canberra competition this season.
The controversial edict, which Begg describes as a “joke”, means that the Manly ranks will be stripped of half a dozen of their stars.
Instead of returning to their Sydney clubs when the Super Rugby commitments are completed, the players will be farmed out to Canberra outfits.
“We are extremely unhappy,” Begg told the Manly Daily.
“It is clearly detrimental to the Sydney club rugby competition, but more importantly it is detrimental to the development of these players.
“Every time a player plays a game I would have thought it was important that he play at the best level he can - in my view the standard in Perth is better.
“The standard of club rugby in Canberra is no better than Kentwell Cup.”
The ruling means Manly will lose
Michael Hooper, Andrew Smith, Robbie Coleman, Anthony Hegarty, Dylan Sigg and Jono Owen.
“We know where they want to play and none of them want to play in Canberra,” Begg said.
The new president said backrower Hooper did all of his development as a Manly junior.
“For (coach) Jake White and the Brumbies now to tell him once your Super Rugby commitments are completed that he has to go and play in some Micky Mouse competition for some club that he has absolutely no affinity to at all is, quite frankly, a joke,” Begg said.
“The Brumbies have the gall to tell Sydney clubs what they can and can’t do when they can’t even secure a front-of-jersey sponsor.”
Begg said Manly will do all in their power to get the “inane” decision reviewed.
Manly will look to Sydney RU to argue their case with ARU, Begg said.
“If they don’t, we will do it ourselves.”
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/no-begg-pardons-over-spray/
As a Manly supporter, I am sympathethic to the President's concerns. However, how many games were they seriously expecting the named players to play for the club? With the expanded Super Rugby season it is my understanding that the players wont be back til end of July anyway. Then add on that ridiculous RUPA rule of 'active rest' which is a mandatory period of 4 weeks were they cant play you are looking at early August at best. Then its realistic to consider that some players play during the Super season with injury and some of the injuries may require surgery at the end of the season then rehab as well. Potentially, without Jake White's edict, the players could not play at all. I also have issues with some of the wording of Mr Begg's complaint and fear it makes Manly look like a big sook. Get over it I say, if we didnt recruit Super Rugby players, it wouldn't be an issue. Hooper and Owen are local juniors albeit Owen was recruited from Uni a couple of years ago
