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WITH Kangaroo winger Mat Rogers yesterday having put pen to a three-year contract to become a NSW Waratah, rugby union will continue the hunt for high-profile league players.
The next target is a winger/fullback with the Australian Rugby Union's high-performance manager Jeff Miller having talks with two league players. One of them has won State-of-Origin honours. Miller said the ARU hasn't given up on Easts' personality player Craig Wing although he is not an immediate priority. Roosters outside back Matt Sing has also been touted as a possible target by the ACT Brumbies. In snaring the signatures of Rogers and Wendell Sailor, the ARU has acquired two of its rival code's most marketable players. Rogers and officials were tight-lipped over his contract although it is considerably less than the $1.5 million he could have got for signing for three years with the Bulldogs. The Cronulla Sharks star, who played flyhalf for Australian Schools in rugby union, said it was "God's timing" that he should return to his old code. He explained: "A few months ago we had a clean-out and found a video of my schooldays playing rugby for Australian Schools and stuff. "I hadn't watched it for seven years but it just popped out. It was God's timing, I guess." Rogers said he had reached his decision in conjunction with wife Michelle, his father Steve, the old Kangaroo centre, and his mother Carol, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Ironically, his delight in finalising his rugby union contract was tempered by the knowledge that yesterday was his late mum's birthday. Rogers is hoping to return to action with the Sharks towards the end of July. On the shoulder problem that has kept him out of action, he said: "It is a torn muscle that they've sewn back together, not a full reconstruction. I'm back into the weights already." Because of the risk of further injury, the NSW and Australian Rugby Unions will insure Rogers as he winds up his career with the Sharks. He fancies a return to the flyhalf spot he filled with Australian Schools but says that is up to NSW coach Bob Dwyer. However, he says: "I want to play in a position that's going to best benefit the team. "It depends on whether my skills are up to what Bob Dwyer wants. "Apart from that, the Waratahs have a very capable five-eighth in Manny Edmonds. I have been given no guarantees." Rogers first realised his interest in playing league was waning after he figured in Australia's World Cup victory last year. "Playing in front of 50,000 people at Old Trafford was the greatest footballing moment of my life," he said. "After that I was searching for things that were going to inspire me in rugby league. "I told my dad I didn't think I could get myself super-excited about coming back and playing on the wing for Cronulla. "Then I got the opportunity to play rugby union and I grabbed it. I'm very excited about the move. "I am playing rugby for all the right reasons, not just the financial ones." Rogers said the last-gasp offer from the Bulldogs was a blessing in disguise because it made him realise that deep in his heart he wanted to play rugby union. Yesterday morning he told Sharks officials and the senior players of his decision and said he left with their blessing. Welcoming his newest recruit, Miller said: "We have no doubts Matt will be a fantastic player for NSW and one day we hope to see him in a Wallaby jumper." He would not rule out the possibility of either Rogers or Sailor being picked for the Wallaby tour to Canada and the UK although it would have to be sight unseen.
The next target is a winger/fullback with the Australian Rugby Union's high-performance manager Jeff Miller having talks with two league players. One of them has won State-of-Origin honours. Miller said the ARU hasn't given up on Easts' personality player Craig Wing although he is not an immediate priority. Roosters outside back Matt Sing has also been touted as a possible target by the ACT Brumbies. In snaring the signatures of Rogers and Wendell Sailor, the ARU has acquired two of its rival code's most marketable players. Rogers and officials were tight-lipped over his contract although it is considerably less than the $1.5 million he could have got for signing for three years with the Bulldogs. The Cronulla Sharks star, who played flyhalf for Australian Schools in rugby union, said it was "God's timing" that he should return to his old code. He explained: "A few months ago we had a clean-out and found a video of my schooldays playing rugby for Australian Schools and stuff. "I hadn't watched it for seven years but it just popped out. It was God's timing, I guess." Rogers said he had reached his decision in conjunction with wife Michelle, his father Steve, the old Kangaroo centre, and his mother Carol, who died last month after a long battle with cancer. Ironically, his delight in finalising his rugby union contract was tempered by the knowledge that yesterday was his late mum's birthday. Rogers is hoping to return to action with the Sharks towards the end of July. On the shoulder problem that has kept him out of action, he said: "It is a torn muscle that they've sewn back together, not a full reconstruction. I'm back into the weights already." Because of the risk of further injury, the NSW and Australian Rugby Unions will insure Rogers as he winds up his career with the Sharks. He fancies a return to the flyhalf spot he filled with Australian Schools but says that is up to NSW coach Bob Dwyer. However, he says: "I want to play in a position that's going to best benefit the team. "It depends on whether my skills are up to what Bob Dwyer wants. "Apart from that, the Waratahs have a very capable five-eighth in Manny Edmonds. I have been given no guarantees." Rogers first realised his interest in playing league was waning after he figured in Australia's World Cup victory last year. "Playing in front of 50,000 people at Old Trafford was the greatest footballing moment of my life," he said. "After that I was searching for things that were going to inspire me in rugby league. "I told my dad I didn't think I could get myself super-excited about coming back and playing on the wing for Cronulla. "Then I got the opportunity to play rugby union and I grabbed it. I'm very excited about the move. "I am playing rugby for all the right reasons, not just the financial ones." Rogers said the last-gasp offer from the Bulldogs was a blessing in disguise because it made him realise that deep in his heart he wanted to play rugby union. Yesterday morning he told Sharks officials and the senior players of his decision and said he left with their blessing. Welcoming his newest recruit, Miller said: "We have no doubts Matt will be a fantastic player for NSW and one day we hope to see him in a Wallaby jumper." He would not rule out the possibility of either Rogers or Sailor being picked for the Wallaby tour to Canada and the UK although it would have to be sight unseen.
