Willie Mason's manager Greg Keenan reveals Japan hit list

[El Diablo]

You do realise that to be eligible to play for the Wallabies, you have to have a S14 contract?

so what?

they aren't even offering yawnion players contracts. haven't read one article about poaching players

And besides, why go to Japan to earn money when you can earn the same here in Australia? Anderson is getting more, isn't he?

you have proof they are getting paid as much in the super 14?

Toutai Kefu has been playing in Japan for years. Illie Tabua went before him. There are a bunch of young guys over there playing who can't get S14 contract here too.

who and who :?

whare this bunch on?

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

Family first, league second, as it should be.

 

[Bluebags1908]

Hi all,
I’ve re-read that article in the telegraph, and the flood of players going to Japan might not be as pronounced as first thought.
The article says that each club can have 3 imports, and a new rule has come in stipulating one of those 3 players must be uncapped.
Now why must one player be uncapped, you ask? It’s because a player that is capped for another country cannot play for Japan as you can’t play for 2 countries (unlike the lax qualification rules in Rugby League unfortunately!)
The only NRL players that can qualify as a capped import in Japan is Matt Rogers and Wendell Sailor as they have both played for the Wallabies.
Whilst bringing in the capped players brings a wealth of experience to educate the local Japanese players, the downside is that they are taking up a spot of a Japanese player and the capped import can’t play for Japan.
So now what they have done is left a spot open for an uncapped import. This is why attention is being focused on NRL players.
However, for an uncapped import to qualify for the Japanese national team, he must play in Japan for 3 years to qualify under the residency rule.
Now the $64m question is, will this rule be exploited by Japanese clubs signing un-capped players to one year and 2 year contracts? And if so, doesn’t it defeat the purpose of the rule as it doesn’t benefit the Japanese national team and uncapped imports can’t qualify for the national team until they are residents of Japan for 3 years?
And whilst an NRL player may go to Japan for 3 years to play for the Japanese national team, what NRL player in their right mind would want to go to Japan for 3 years and play in front of 2,000 people for the purpose of getting picked for the Japan national team at the World Cup? It would totally ruin their career. I know the money is really good but it is really worth it to sacrifice your career? It might be a better option for players towards the end of their Rugby League careers.
If you look at things from the Japanese point of view, this new rule is actually restricting the quality of RU imports, not increasing it but at the same time trying to assist their national team – what they are saying is instead of having 3 capped imports that can’t ever qualify for the Japanese national team, let’s have one spot for a non-capped import so they can qualify for Japan after 3 years of residency (which I think this whole uncapped imports/residency rule is a joke anyway).

 

[Thomas]

so what?

they aren't even offering yawnion players contracts. haven't read one article about poaching players

Because most Aussie players want to play for their country. They can't do that if they go to Japan.

Plenty of semi-retired players have played or are playing in Japan. George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Matt Cockbain are just a few. Some young players (uncontracted) have gone over there for experience as well.

And you won't read an article about it because it isn't new news in RU circles. Australian RU players have been playing in Europe/Japan for a while now. The 'theme of the year' in the RL media is 'NRL stars switching codes'.

BTW there was an article in the paper last week of Qld reds player Quade Cooper also being on the radar for Jap clubs.

you have proof they are getting paid as much in the super 14?

Its pretty evident that the money on offer is similar to that in Australia...and the money on offer in Australian RU is more than what NRL clubs can offer. The jap clubs can offer younger players a better wage to start with though.

See link:

http://www.uq.edu.au/rugby/index.html?page=78888&pid=0

UQRA Consultant Coach Sean Hedger has warned it’s not rugby league, AFL or soccer that could be the main threat to the ranks of Australian professional rugby union over the next decade but Japan.
Mr Hedger, who is currently assistant coach of Kobe Steel Rugby Club in the Japanese Top League, said new rules to Japanese rugby could entice younger players to the Land of the Rising Sun in search of a higher wage.
“At the moment a foreigner has to live there for three years before becoming eligible to play for Japan,” the 34-year-old said.
“The JRFU (Japan Rugby) is looking at changing a rule to make those players exempt so they can play in Japan club rugby.
“At the moment there are only two foreign players allowed on the field for a club side at one time.
“So technically a young bloke from Australia who hasn’t played much rep footy could move to Japan, live there for three years and be eligible for the next World Cup and he won’t count as a foreign player.
“If a player who is on the bench for Super 14 teams doesn’t see himself getting into the Wallabies in the near future, then he could find an alternative playing in Japan.
“The ARU doesn’t have to worry about the (Stephen) Larkhams retiring over here, they need to worry about the 23, 24 or 25-year-olds who are looking for an alternative career path and the money over there is just far greater.”
“There are a few players like Larkham who get over AU$1 million but a reasonable player could get about $120,000 a year which is one-and-a-half-times more than the bottom level player at a Super 14 province gets,” he said.

 

[El Diablo]

Because most Aussie players want to play for their country. They can't do that if they go to Japan.

Plenty of semi-retired players have played or are playing in Japan. George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Matt Cockbain are just a few. Some young players (uncontracted) have gone over there for experience as well.

And you won't read an article about it because it isn't new news in RU circles. Australian RU players have been playing in Europe/Japan for a while now. The 'theme of the year' in the RL media is 'NRL stars switching codes'.

BTW there was an article in the paper last week of Qld reds player Quade Cooper also being on the radar for Jap clubs.

name one player who has knocked back big money because he thinks one day he'll be a Wannabe

and why bring up old yawnion nuffies :?

they obviously went there to retire

Its pretty evident that the money on offer is similar to that in Australia...and the money on offer in Australian RU is more than what NRL clubs can offer. The jap clubs can offer younger players a better wage to start with though.

you're pretty sure?

so basically you have nfi if the money is the same as you first claimed

 

[Thomas]

I just want to add that this is just a massive media beat up. The back page of the Courier Mail has a picture of Slater, Mason and Hunt with the Rising Sun as the back drop.

Does anyone here seriously think any of those players would even consider moving to Japan? It’s the usual Player Manager trick of boosting a contract. Is it no surprise that several big name players who are linked to this story are coming up to contract renewal time?

Also, as stated, there is a limit on foreign players playing for Japanese clubs. Its not like they are going to fill it with a whole team of Aussie RL and RU players…

 

[VictorTheViking]

If they're so passionate about league as they claim they wouldnt allow themselves to be shopped around like f**kin japanese hookers in a tokyo nightclub. Let them go.

 

[Perth Red]

Don't know which is worse the medias "Sydney dieing" hysteria or their "players leaving" hysteria. Wish they would be as enthusiastic about something good about the game!

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

And to think their grandfathers fought to keep the Japs from raping and pillaging Australia's fair shores...

fortunately we aren't all bigots like you.. I guess it all probably comes down to a lack of education..

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Yet another example of union only getting in the news when they talk about Rugby League.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Don't know which is worse the medias "Sydney dieing" hysteria or their "players leaving" hysteria. Wish they would be as enthusiastic about something good about the game!

It's f**king annoying tbh. I can't rememeber the last time the goddamn Sydney press wasn't laying the boot into their own sport...

 

[MsStorm]

What I want to know do any of the players actually enjoy/love playing the game of rugby league anymore? If i could make for 1 to 400 grand a yr playing league i would give two sh*ts how much some Japanese rubgy club wanted to pay me.

Im waiting for the day when one of our stars comes out and says I wouldnt give up playing league for <insert club>, for anything in the world!

Post of the Year so far!

 

[ozbash]

Yet another example of union only getting in the news when they talk about Rugby League.

dont you believe it mate, union has access to coin that league can only dream of.

Union isnt the threat though, the biggest threat to league are the clowns "running" it.
let the players earn the same $$ as top flight union players and all this would never happen.

I dont mean raising the cap.

Gallop has got the game in a strangle hold, he should resign.