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Jun 2020
10:17am, 1 Jun 2020
12,620 posts
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Cerrertonia
If you follow the news from "Rugby Australia", they've fired 40% of staff today and don't have a domestic tv contract for internationals or super rugby (and no current offers of one). They've had to borrow money from world rugby and HSBC to avoid bankruptcy, and it seems like pulling the plug on the super rugby franchises and any form of domestic professional rugby is under serious consideration. I'd imagine the RFU is under a fair amount of pressure to play internationals to help some of the other unions out, and plenty of Aussie players looking for clubs here.
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Jun 2020
10:38am, 1 Jun 2020
128 posts
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mattglen_
It’s almost ironic that a couple years back tier one sides were being told to do their bit for developing unions, and one international against England could keep a side going for a while, now the tier one sides are scrambling
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Jun 2020
11:48am, 1 Jun 2020
19,164 posts
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flanker
I'm on the "play it properly, or not at all" side of the fence. We risk the game becoming a farce. The only positive is that the rules aren't mandatory and down to local unions to pick and chose from.
It might be a good thing to shake the game up financially, as it was getting to the point where certains teams where effectively able to buy a win underpinned by some dodgy financial dealings. A levelling of the playing field and financial stability can only be good for the long-term future of the game. A bit like the footie Prem was a decade or so ago, before they had to bring in stronger financial controls.
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Jun 2020
2:48pm, 4 Jun 2020
665 posts
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Albert O Balsam
Interesting to hear the comments from Burgess in the last 24 hours - clearly something was awry given his swift exit from Union
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Jun 2020
3:14pm, 4 Jun 2020
14,105 posts
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richmac
Wow it's he still trying get a free lunch from that 5 years later?
Just another league guy who thought union was soft, believed good own bullshit and ultimately couldn't have it.
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Jun 2020
3:14pm, 4 Jun 2020
14,106 posts
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richmac
*hack it
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Jun 2020
3:27pm, 4 Jun 2020
7,394 posts
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Too Much Water
I rewatched the 2015 game and don’t find that view to be true. Burgess did well in the game although I can’t say he offered much in attack he was shutting down Roberts and keeping the game tight.
Burgess was definitely mismanaged by England, and much like Andy Farrell had a bad run of injuries immediately before his transfer to Union.
Mike Ford has a track record of failure and personally I believe most of what Burgess said about him, Lancaster was way above his pay grade too.
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Jun 2020
4:29pm, 4 Jun 2020
14,107 posts
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richmac
Yeah he was so good other clubs rushed in to offer him a contract... oh wait.
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Jun 2020
4:39pm, 4 Jun 2020
12,675 posts
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Cerrertonia
His NRL contract was for $4 million, so that's an odd comment richmac. Although I suppose Saracens could've fitted that under their salary cap somehow 
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Jun 2020
5:00pm, 4 Jun 2020
14,110 posts
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richmac
LOL, yes his NRL is huge bucks but my point of zero interest from other clubs remains.
Not even a hint of 'we would have made an offer if we didn't know how much he was getting elswhere'
Also, in that interview he dosn't mention his previous association, in league. with either Ford. Still sounds like sour grapes 5 years on. Makes me wonder why they asked him about it? Why not talk about all the good stuff he's done since?
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