Johns switch closer

[The Colonel]

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9875997-23217,00.html

Johns switch closer
By Bret Harris
June 18, 2004

A CONSORTIUM of wealthy private benefactors is poised to succeed in its bid to entice rugby league star Andrew Johns to switch codes and join the NSW Waratahs.

The news came as the Australian Rugby Union conceded it could not stop Johns from securing a personal sponsorship to play for NSW - a marked change in tune from earlier in the week.

A source close to the ARU told The Australian that Johns would switch codes if the Friends of the Waratahs could prove to the Newcastle halfback that they could contribute about $400,000 a year to supplement his income.

The ARU recently decided against seeking to contract Johns because of his age (30) and his history of injuries.

The Waratahs needed the ARU to contribute about $400,000 a year to secure Johns, who was restricted to a maximum $110,000 offer from NSW.

But a network of Sydney businessmen known as the Friends of the Waratahs has been investigating the viability of sponsoring Johns' move to rugby union.

The ARU is opposed to the unconventional manoeuvre. High-performance unit boss Brett Robinson said this week that the ARU would see salaries rise out of control if outsiders were able to enter the contracting system.

Robinson added that all parties, including the ARU, "have to be happy" to sign a players' contract.

However, Wallabies winger Wendell Sailor already has a personal sponsorship as part of his salary package with the ARU and Queensland Reds.

"There are already personal sponsorship deals out there," ARU spokesman Strath Gordon said yesterday. "Wendell Sailor has one.

"Sailor is a vastly different situation. He has a base Super 12 value, which is substantially topped up by the ARU. The icing on the cake is a couple of extra sponsorship deals.

"NSW are proposing that the majority of Andrew Johns' salary be paid by a massive endorsement by the Friends of the Waratahs.

"The point is the ARU won't contribute to Andrew Johns' salary because the ARU has formed a view about Andrew Johns. NSW are free to do whatever they like. That's their option. The ARU would not be involved in the process."

The only way the ARU could control private sponsorship of players would be to centralise recruitment or introduce a salary cap. Both of these moves would probably fail because they would be opposed by the players' association.

The Waratahs will still need to obtain the ARU's moral support for their bid to recruit Johns, who is unlikely to switch codes if he is going to be in the middle of political in-fighting.

There is plenty of opposition to the Waratahs' bid for Johns in rugby circles.

"What I think is extremely worrying is that this sets a precedent, which I can only see taking Australian rugby in a downward spiral because it is moving outside a proven system that has seen Australian rugby at the pinnacle with a World Cup victory and final in the last four years," ACT Brumbies chief executive Rob Clarke said.

"Given that it is proven I don't see why we should be going outside that system and I think it could be potentially disastrous. From the Brumbies' point of view we are very happy with the system that has been in place.

"Australian rugby has benefited from it and I think it isn't going to help. And in fact it will detract from Australian rugby if NSW go down this path."

NSW coach Ewen McKenzie confirmed his interest in Johns to solve the Waratahs' troublesome five-eighth position.

"He is a player of fantastic renown and skill and that has been acknowledged by both codes," McKenzie said.

"Obviously, we would have to work closely with the ARU in anything we do, but I think we could sort things out."

The Waratahs have re-signed former Wallabies hooker Adam Freier for a further two years.

Freier, who toured Argentina and Europe with the Wallabies in 2002, played back-up to Test hooker Brendan Cannon at the Waratahs this year.

"We've got Brendan, but Adam is a competitive guy who backs himself," McKenzie said. "I want to see two players competing hard for every position."

The Australian

 

[super_coach]

for one i hope he dosnt change codes--nothing to gain and heaps to loose--mark ella was the best rugby player in the last 50 years-he didnt change codes--went close-but we still remember him as a champion--the same with johns--if he stays with league,he will be remembered as a champion-but if he switches codes he risks that--I have no doubt he would make a go of it-but he would have a heap of rugby blokes wanting him to fail

 

[Razor]

Also switching could harm his media career after he retires

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Who really cares at this point? I reckon let him go if he wants to, Union will gain nothing from the vast amount of money it wil cost them. Think about it, what is the main purpose of poaching League players? The biggest purpose is to convince the audiesnce of both codes that Union has all of the best players and that it is the code to follow. Now poaching Johns might get the union fans excited, but league fans will see it for what is is, a cushy retirement package. While he's a great player, Johns has spent the bulk of the last two years injured, and his body is on the way out. All him going to union would prove to league fans is their suspicion that switching to Union is a bit like going to play in the ESL: a great way to earn top $$ for a couple of years when the pace and intensity gets a bit too much for you. If union wanted to get value for money out of poaching Johns they needed to do it two years ago.

 

[Sloane]

I'd like to see him go to Union for 2 reasons. The first is I don't like Newcastle. Secondly, I think it would be exciting to see how he goes in Rugby. If he were to go, he'd probably get picked in the Australian team regardless of how well he had actually been playing, but it would be interesting to see how he handles the code.

 

[melon....]

Expect an announcement today. Tah Tah Bargearse.

 

[Anonymous]

I hope he does his knee again.


What a disgusting piece of work. Takes the money to commentate at origin then heads over to the dark side.

 

[The Q Facor]

This could set a precendent if all this is true and Joey does decide to move to Rugby. Having a 3rd party outside the NSWRU/ARU paying a majority of the players wages could spell trouble for rugby in Australia. After spending WAY to much for Tiquiri and now if Joey goes ahead, the ARU are looking at out of control player wages......and we all know what happpens when player wages get out of control????

 

[El Diablo]

Didn't Matthew Johns say on TFS he was nolt going to Union a couple of weeks ago?

 

[fat_mike]

yeah that was an official annoucement before these businessmen entered the picture. johns will go for the money, absolutely nothing to do with the extra challenge. good riddance to the bloke aswell.

 

[The Colonel]

Didn't Matthew Johns say on TFS he was nolt going to Union a couple of weeks ago?

He did however this was a new offer that has been put together in the last week apparently.

 

[The Colonel]

This could set a precendent if all this is true and Joey does decide to move to Rugby. Having a 3rd party outside the NSWRU/ARU paying a majority of the players wages could spell trouble for rugby in Australia. After spending WAY to much for Tiquiri and now if Joey goes ahead, the ARU are looking at out of control player wages......and we all know what happpens when player wages get out of control????

The problem is however the domestic scene in Union has only three teams. Thats 22 players per game. They have a fairly large nursery and if they were to start chasing Leaguies IMO they would see a lot of kids switching across seeing a better career path to the Wallabies by playing league.

 

[Special K]

Didn't Joey come out and say the day after Origin he is staying in league for sure then Union said they never wanted him :lol: :lol: ?

 

[The Observer]

Also switching could harm his media career after he retires

I thought it was only the Rah Rahs that held prejudice and discriminated against players that switched codes. IF that is true, why should RL people stoop to the same level?

 

[ouwet]

Also switching could harm his media career after he retires

I thought it was only the Rah Rahs that held prejudice and discriminated against players that switched codes. IF that is true, why should RL people stoop to the same level?

Are we meant to respect him? Rugby League has given him everything!!! If he wants to go to union and give them unlimited media coverage from the coup then f**k him! He will loss my respect!!!!!! :x

 

[Palms]

He hasnt gone yet, so we cant really judge him - he's been great for our game attracting fans etc so i think the bloke deserves a fair go first.

 

[The Observer]

Are we meant to respect him? Rugby League has given him everything!!! If he wants to go to union and give them unlimited media coverage from the coup then f**k him! He will loss my respect!!!!!! :x

What an arrogant attitude. Anyone with an ounce of sense would respect him for what he's achieved in this game, for being one of its best ever players. If he goes to the Ruggeroids, good luck to him.

As for RL giving him everything, its a two-way street. RL has given him a lot, but likewise he has given RL a lot. If he goes, there are 20 players to take his place and do bigger and better things. Players like Kimmorley, Kurt Gidley, Finch, Prince, Benji Marshall, Matt Head, Sherwin, Thurston, Orford, and so on. Johns is one player at the end of his career, there are many new hotshots to take his place, who cares.

 

[Parraren]

Oh well. It's pretty sad that such a strong sport like Rugby is so desperate to grab a few league players to keep it's profile up :roll:

They'll probably wait to announce it until the eve of Game 3 of SOO :roll:

 

[DIEHARD]

I hope he doesn't go back on his word and go to the evil code. He would become the most hated man in Australia over night. Stay in League Joey

 

[rugged]

You've all got it wrong. They would want Johns for another reason than that they think he might be good.

They would want him so that all the rugby league viewers would tune into union to see how Johns was going.

I have to laugh though, union has a big thing about rugby pathways. I've seen a big flowchart for the Reds with arrows going up from junior rugby to rep rugby to reds scholarships etc. Nowhere did I see a big arrow coming across straight from rugby league to the reds!!!!!