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QLD Reds 2010

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louie

Desmond Connor (43)
things could get a a whole lot worse very quickly:

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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25697783-23217,00.html?from=public_rss

Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes linked to Super 14 team the Brumbies

By Wayne Smith
June 27, 2009

Rumours persist that Wallabies centre Berrick Barnes will move to the Brumbies if he is not satisfied with the direction the troubled Queensland Reds are taking.

Barnes and fellow Wallabies Digby Ioane and Sean Hardman are the only senior Reds players yet to re-sign, but where the other two have given strong indications they will recommit, Barnes is keeping his options open.

He asked for his negotiations to be put on hold over the past month while he has been on Wallabies duty, but with the Australia team going into a brief recess before gearing up for the Tri-Nations following Saturday's France Test, he hopes to reach a decision next week.

Barnes has been closely monitoring the review process that so far has claimed the jobs of assistant coach Mark Bell and team manager Brendan Morris, with high-performance manager Ben Whitaker also resigning because of significant differences with senior QRU management.

Head coach Phil Mooney said on Friday he was consulting regularly with Barnes and was very confident he would re-sign, a feeling shared by senior player Morgan Turinui.

"There is a fair bit of player input into the review, and even if sometimes you don't agree with what is decided, the mere fact you were consulted means you have some sense of ownership of the process," Turinui said.

"When you're such a passionate guy, as Berrick is, you want to stay and see things through, so I would think he'll recommit. But I know that he and Sean want to see some action come out of all this.

"The huge positive is that Phil Mooney is driving it. When you've got the head coach on board, things can change.

"But at the end of the day, the players have to perform. People are losing their jobs at the Reds ... but if you're winning and you're getting an extra 10,000 people through the gate for each game, no one's going to get the sack."

While Barnes has stressed his desire to remain with Queensland, he also is keenly aware that he is at an important stage of his career and he does not want to get enmeshed in an organisation that has no clear vision of where it wants to go.

"I have to somewhat look after myself in this sort of situation," Barnes said recently.

The strong rumour is that if the Reds cannot convince Barnes they are determined to break a six-year slump that has seen them consigned to the bottom three on the Super rugby ladder, he will join the Brumbies.

A Reds insider said that a possible move to the Brumbies had been on the cards even before the internal review at Ballymore turned the organisation on its head, but both Barnes' manager, Peter Rogers, and ACT chief executive Andrew Fagan deny any such move has been discussed.

The Brumbies missed out on recruiting teenage Wallabies fullback James O'Connor, but Fagan said that did not necessarily mean the ACT had a spot open for Barnes.

"We have an outside back position we have to fill but it's just as likely to be a raw young talent who'll get it as anyone well-credentialed," Fagan said.

Meanwhile, the Western Force's star recruit, former Springbok five-eighth Andre Pretorius, is looking to build the sort of combination with O'Connor that the teenager established with Matt Giteau in the Super 14 season.

Speaking from South Africa, Pretorius said he was delighted O'Connor had decided to remain in Perth.

"That's definitely one of the key elements of good back half play, the fact that 10 and 12 think a lot alike," Pretorius said.

"I think (O'Connor) and Matt got that right and that's why they were so successful in the midfield. So yes, having a good relationship with your 12, which is James O'Connor, is definitely going to be a key."
 

farva

Vay Wilson (31)
I hope Barnes stays, but can understand why he has reservations about the Reds. There is something fishy about the fitness of the squad, since they all seem to go down every season. That would be terrible for Barnes. He is essentially the Wallaby back up 10, and fast becoming on of the best 12s going around now he has started to get that defensive kick at all costs mentality out of his head.
 
T

TOCC

Guest
as a reds fan it hurts to say that i cant blame him, loyalty is one thing, but if your loyal to something which contiues to reflect badly on you and those around you i can imagine his reluctance to recommit.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Fuck me, how much talent do the Brumbies want?

Friend must be laughing in his fucking sleep
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
A good decision if correct. They haven't got a hooker and it will give Hardman a last hurrah. Free of the (apparent) trouble at the Reds, he may enjoy the gig.
 
S

Spook

Guest
Well Fainga'a isn't good enough to start for QLD. They should have Freir.
 
F

formeropenside

Guest
Apparently it is now pretty clear Digby will re-sign for another 2 years with the Reds.

Apparently.
 

spectator

Bob Davidson (42)
formeropenside said:
Apparently it is now pretty clear Digby will re-sign for another 2 years with the Reds.

Apparently.
Getting the signature of Barnes and Ioane is an obvious priority and crucial for the Reds going forward but the "futures stock" in the cupboard looks quite exposed. From the Academy Kingi, Tapuai and Shaw have already played S14 and must at least be persons of interest to other franchises. OZ Under 20 players Schaatz and Slipper would also be attracting interest as would OZ Sevens players Toua and Shipperley. Inside back Jonno Lance is another worth mentioning.

What price another Western exodus?
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
a southern exodus perhaps?

A mention in the paper today that Genia is currently negotiating his contract with the ARU and QRU for 2 years. Nice timing for him. A chance to renegotiate a little.

By the way, Reds awards night last night, at which I was meant to attend but couldn't in the end:

Powerful QR Reds outside centre Digby Ioane tonight won the prestigious Pilecki Medal for his standout performances for the Reds during the 2009 Investec Super 14 season.

Despite missing the last two games of the Super 14 season, Ioane amassed 253 votes in the annual Players' Player award, named in honour of legendary Queensland prop Stan Pilecki, to become the 13th winner of the Medal since its introduction in 1992.

Ioane, 23, started the season on the wing but proved a sensation at outside centre when Coach Phil Mooney made the switch during the Reds tour of South Africa.

Ioane was considered a certain selection for the Wallabies until a shoulder reconstruction forced a premature end to his Super 14 season.

Flanker Hugh McMeniman finished runner up to Ioane on 231 votes, with early season captain Berrick Barnes third with 122 votes.

The Pilecki Medal vote was announced at tonight's Reds Gala in Brisbane, where Ioane also received the QR Hardest Trainer award and 23-year old tighthead prop Laurie Weeks was named Rookie of the Year.

Weeks, who was also Rookie of the Year in the Australian Investec Super 14 awards, made his debut off the bench behind Dayna Edwards in the opening round against the Bulls in South Africa and played every game of the year, starting in all but two of the 13 matches.

Queensland coach Phil Mooney said it was no surprise that Ioane won both the Pilecki medal and Hardest Trainer award – the same double claimed by former Reds flanker David Croft in 2008

"Like Crofty, Digby's success on the field is a product of the amount of hard work he does off it," Mooney said.

"Digby is a gifted athlete but he also works extremely hard on improving every facet of his game. That's why he's successful and why his best years are still ahead of him."

While McMeniman will head overseas in 2010, Ioane and Barnes are currently finalising their contract negotiations with the Wallabies and Reds.

"We are confident both are on track to re-sign until the next Rugby World Cup," Mooney said.

Ioane won votes in all 11 matches he played during 2009, getting out of the blocks quickly with an imposing 57 votes in the round one match against the Bulls in Pretoria and later being voted best on ground in matches against the Cheetahs and Western Force.

McMeniman began to bridge the gap in rounds four and five against the Waratahs and Sharks, but Ioane responded with a strong game against the Chiefs, before his notable effort against the Force in a losing team extended his lead.

Ioane and McMeniman continued their dominance during the middle stages of the season and were well supported by marquee recruit Daniel Braid, young loosehead Ben Daley and newly announced Wallaby squad member Will Genia, each of whom was voted the Reds' best on field in various games this year.

Final voting:

Digby Ioane 253
Hugh McMeniman 231
Berrick Barnes 122
Scott Higginbotham 108
Will Genia 103
Sean Hardman 103
Daniel Braid 94
Van Humphries 73
Leroy Houston 70
Ben Daley 66
Quade Cooper 59
Mark McLinden 55
Laurie Weeks 55
Greg Holmes 45
Charlie Fetoai 41
Peter Hynes 34
Ezra Taylor 34
Adam Byrnes 33
Ben Lucas 26
James Horwill 22
Poutasi Luafutu 13
Anthony Fainga'a 9
Brendan McKibbin 9
Blair Connor 6
Rod Davies 5

Andrew Shaw 5
Ben Tapuai 5
Brando Va'aulu 5
Luke Morahan 3
Jack Kennedy 2
Dayna Edwards 1
Saia Fainga'a 1
Richard Kingi 1

they must have awarded points for good training sessions.
 
F

formeropenside

Guest
From the Courier Mail:

A FEW noses out of joint when the Broncos consistently denied Carroll was making a comeback. But I hear it was all to do with a major promotion and the club didn't want to lessen the impact. Anyway, it's good to have him back adding a bit of fun to the club. Meanwhile we wonder if denials that a former Wallaby star will put the helmet back on to help out with the Reds next year carry as much weight.

Any ideas who this is? Heenan, Kefu (who used to wear headgear as I recall) seem the top options for me.

Surely not Tuney.
 
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