Melbourne Rebels in $1m bid for Billy Slater & Israel Folau

[Greenbits]

Not sure if this has been posted here or not:

Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen denies the fledgling rugby club are chasing Billy Slater, but admits they're closing in on ex-rugby league international Mark Gasnier.
Slater has been linked to the Rebels on a possible $1 million deal as his embattled NRL club Melbourne Storm face the prospect of disbanding a team built by creative accounting.

Australia and State of Origin player Slater is sure to be in demand should stars have to be shed, though Macqueen denies the Storm fullback is in the Rebels' sights.

"It's (speculation about signing Slater) definitely wide of the mark. It's definitely wrong. Especially when things are tough, we gave our assurances early on to the Storm and we still feel the same way,'' Macqueen said.

"We made a point when we came down here that we wouldn't be targeting any of the Storm players in anything we did, and nothing's changed.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27040650-5002381,00.html

 

[Brutus]

i would rather see them playing rugby league, in this country or in another country.

Me too.

 

[Parra]

Above all else.

 

[Spot On]

As history has proven, most of them take the cash, play for a while, then come back to league. No we can't match the $$$$$ reported but I think these blokes are starting to realise that Union just plain sucks.

 

[Parra]

As history has proven, most of them take the cash, play for a while, then come back to league. No we can't match the $$$$$ reported but I think these blokes are starting to realise that Union just plain sucks.

No need to read anything into it Einstein, they leave for money, they come back for money. That's it.

 

[Bay City]

I don't think Rugby are in love with league players as much as they used to be.

O'Neill was at the centre of Sailor and Tiquiri and it (along with Rogers & Tahu) and it turned out pretty badly for the ARU with all of them heading back to league.

Interally the rugby rank and file were up in arms at grabbing league players.

The Gasnier model is perfect for rugby where they disapear for a few years, learn the game overseas (at someone else's expense) and return with a knowledge of the game.

Maybe one signing but no way do rugby go grabbing too many league players, the ARU won't support it and without that support the Super 14/15 franchises can't make it work.

 

[Spot On]

No need to read anything into it Einstein, they leave for money, they come back for money. That's it.

Ah yes, that's what I said. Is there an echo in here?

 

[Parra]

Ah yes, that's what I said. Is there an echo in here?

It is not what you said at all you halfwit.

 

[Spot On]

It is not what you said at all you halfwit.

Ok

 

[Parra]

Ok

What part of "but I think these blokes are starting to realise that Union just plain sucks" are you pretending you didn't write?

 

[Spot On]

Read the first sentence.

 

[Parra]

So the second sentence is meaningless?

bullsh*t. Everyone can see what you meant.

 

[Spot On]

No Einstein, the second sentence refers to the two names in the thread title - Slater and Falou.

 

[Parra]

But the first sentence doesn't?

 

[Spot On]

You're confusing me now. I just meant that players like Rodgers, Sailor, Lote etc players of that era, took the cash. It was about the cash and all the other waffle they went on about. Each player I just mentioned came back for different reasons obviously. Lote would still be in Union on more coin than what he is receiving at the Tigers if they didn't sack him. I think the players currently being persued, like Slater and Falou, are obviously going to find it hard to turn down the $$$$$ but now the water has been tested and Union is not the game it used to be, they might forgo the dollars and stay with league because union sucks. And when I say sucks, I mean that the game itself doesn't suit these types of players. They rarely get their hands on the ball, the game is stop/start, it's popularity has sunk to an all time low, the media don't really give a rats about it and so on. Time will tell. It's only an opinion mate.

 

[Parra]

Fair enough.

I am saying they left for cash & came back for cash. Each and every one of them.

Nothing to do with the rule book or anything else.

It will be the same now and in the future. They are professional athletes. They are not there to make you feel better about your chosen television program.

 

[Spot On]

Fair enough.

I am saying they left for cash & came back for cash. Each and every one of them.

Nothing to do with the rule book or anything else.

It will be the same now and in the future. They are professional athletes. They are not there to make you feel better about your chosen television program.

Agreed.

 

[Noa]

I reckon Issy is gonski to the Rebels.

No loss though.

 

[MsStorm]

We'll keep Slater & Co. even if we have to cheat to do it.

 

[abpanther]

Sounds like Folau will sign with the Rebels today, this can't keep happening, something needs to be done