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Reds 2020

Strewthcobber

Mark Ella (57)
So it is possible, whilst unlikely - we could have a wallaby playing club rugby to earn their super spot.

Says it all - regardless of which way you look at it.
Assuming your're talking about JOC (James O'Connor), when is he going to be playing club rugby to earn a Super Rugby spot?
 

Tomikin

Simon Poidevin (60)
In the end I'm guessing James may have a non standard Australian contract or non standard Reds contract or that he said his not signing on with Australian Rugby till he gets a Super Contract and its also very possible that Nic White has signed a contract with a team, but isn't announcing it till next year.

There's a bunch of reasons that JOC (James O'Connor) may or may not have signed his contract yet..
 

Beer Baron

Phil Hardcastle (33)
Assuming your're talking about JOC (James O'Connor), when is he going to be playing club rugby to earn a Super Rugby spot?

Firstly - i realise this is all nonsense talk but Reds 2020 is a looong way away, so what else is there to mention in this thread.

I assume JOC (James O'Connor) has to sign an ARU contract to play for the Wobs. If he signs a 2 year contract with the ARU but can't agree terms with the Reds, Cheika could still pick him for RWC whilst he awaits a contract with a super side. BT might ask him to do some time.

Anyway - i'm bored of my own hypothetical.
 

LearningCurve

Bill Watson (15)
In the end I'm guessing James may have a non standard Australian contract or non standard Reds contract or that he said his not signing on with Australian Rugby till he gets a Super Contract and its also very possible that Nic White has signed a contract with a team, but isn't announcing it till next year.

There's a bunch of reasons that JOC (James O'Connor) may or may not have signed his contract yet..


Nic White has only signed with RA - after the RWC he will go back to Exeter for the 2020 Premiership season, and only then will he finish with English rugby. Given that next year's Premiership final will be on the 20th of June, which is after the usual end of the Super Rugby normal rounds, he won't be available for a Super Rugby team in the 2020 competition unless Exeter do really badly (they were the losing finalists this year) and like To'omua he gets an early release.

So this means Cheika/Johnson have brought in a guy for RWC who won't play Super Rugby until 2021. No wonder he is in no rush to sign with a Super Rugby team and dare say the Super Rugby teams aren't rushing to sign him either until they see how their other options fare. In my view this is a slippery slope - other players will see this as a precedent.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
So this means Cheika/Johnson have brought in a guy for RWC who won't play Super Rugby until 2021. No wonder he is in no rush to sign with a Super Rugby team and dare say the Super Rugby teams aren't rushing to sign him either until they see how their other options fare. In my view this is a slippery slope - other players will see this as a precedent.


The prerequisite of needing to be in the top couple of players in your position, a capped Wallaby and in objectively good form overseas makes it a pretty small potential to be abused by players.

The fact that he won't play Super Rugby next season definitely makes it tenuous in terms of the spirit of the rules but they are arbitrary anyway.

The RWC is definitely the best time to bring players back from overseas in terms of being able to improve the team because of the long preparation time and no need to fly back to the UK for match commitments in between games.

I think the current arrangements we have are better than open slather for overseas eligibility and likewise I think some flexibility to select overseas players (whether through the 60 cap rule or this one) is good for keeping us as competitive as possible.
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
For mine discarding the "spirit" of the rule makes the whole situation unsustainable as players on the margins, those who form the depth of squad and push the ultimate talents to perform will say F%$#% this, there is no chance at all for me to be seriously looked at no matter what I do in service to Australian Rugby by hanging around and playing my short pro rugby career away for far less than I can get in Euro or Yen land. A lack of ethics in a organisation has ramifications, with people often holding to the "rules" rigidly as they ensure that they get all their dues from the organisation that plays fast and free with the "rules".

I've seen in in both Private and Public enterprise.

That is before we consider the other factors of the individuals being brought back. I see RA as having a complete lack of integrity at the professional level and that has consequences, that are not immediately apparent. Just as I warned when the rules were "bent" for Elsom and then Vickerman.
 

upthereds#!

Ken Catchpole (46)
I believe you have to have the Super Rugby component signed, hence why they are saying JOC (James O'Connor) won't be able to be picked for SA game. If so, does this mean White would not eligible either? He is probably read to rock on being announced, but waiting for Genia to announce departure.

Lomani would be replacement for Ruru, White for Genia.
 

Strewthcobber

Mark Ella (57)
I believe you have to have the Super Rugby component signed, hence why they are saying JOC (James O'Connor) won't be able to be picked for SA game. If so, does this mean White would not eligible either? He is probably read to rock on being announced, but waiting for Genia to announce departure.

Lomani would be replacement for Ruru, White for Genia.
JOC (James O'Connor) won't be picked because he isn't part of the squad, he was just training while Koro attended his kids birth

JOC (James O'Connor) and white will be eligible for selection as soon as they have an ARU contract and are committed to playing Super Rugby for two years, they don't need to have signed with a particular team
 

liquor box

Greg Davis (50)
JOC (James O'Connor) won't be picked because he isn't part of the squad, he was just training while Koro attended his kids birth

JOC (James O'Connor) and white will be eligible for selection as soon as they have an ARU contract and are committed to playing Super Rugby for two years, they don't need to have signed with a particular team

So it is still possible that no Super Rugby team could sign them despite them already leaving their other teams?

This seems to leave RA subject to lawsuits for loss of earnings as it has always sounded like they are promised to be eligible.

What if JOC (James O'Connor) or White want $2m a season, no team will sign them. I cant believe they would leave a club without a deal signed
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
So it is still possible that no Super Rugby team could sign them despite them already leaving their other teams?

This seems to leave RA subject to lawsuits for loss of earnings as it has always sounded like they are promised to be eligible.

What if JOC (James O'Connor) or White want $2m a season, no team will sign them. I cant believe they would leave a club without a deal signed
I thought that the amount that the super teams could pay them was capped, barring 1-2 marquee players, with the balance coming form RA. So it shouldn’t matter who he plays for (with regards to money at least).
 

Rugrat

Darby Loudon (17)
I would be very surprised if JOC (James O'Connor) doesn’t already have a signed contract with ARU as if he didn’t he would not be covered by insurance even for training injury. ARU will pick him on the basis of after World Cup joining sevens squad if he can’t get a Super Rugby contact done. He will do a few comps with the sevens and then be “released”to play 15s in Japan or somewhere.
 

liquor box

Greg Davis (50)
I would be very surprised if JOC (James O'Connor) doesn’t already have a signed contract with ARU as if he didn’t he would not be covered by insurance even for training injury. ARU will pick him on the basis of after World Cup joining sevens squad if he can’t get a Super Rugby contact done. He will do a few comps with the sevens and then be “released”to play 15s in Japan or somewhere.
that is smart thinking by RA, at least if that scenario plays out people wont be able to say the Folau saga is the worst decision that RA ever made
 

upthereds#!

Ken Catchpole (46)
Apart from JOC (James O'Connor), are there any rumours of signings from outside out Academy system? I imagine a few academy guys might get promoted.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I didn’t want him, but he is in the reds now so I’ll support him, and Its given me comfort with the additional behavioural clauses included in his contract. Happy to pay under his market value as well.
 

SouthernX

Peter Johnson (47)
So he'll start at 10 for the Reds next year I guess.

I don’t think he will be 10.

He has spoken recently to rugby Australia about preference of playing 12. Is there any 12 in Queensland rugby keeping himself out of his preferred position?
 
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