Warburton Signs Central Contract with the Welsh Rugby Union

Woody1997

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-central-contract-wales-1282865-Jan2014/?utm_source=twitter_self

Very interesting this. Maybe the Welsh are pleased with how we have managed to keep the majority of our front line players. Obviously way too early to tell but could this be the way forward for Welsh rugby?

Rightwing

Woody1997 wrote: »

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-central-contract-wales-1282865-Jan2014/?utm_source=twitter_self

Very interesting this. Maybe the Welsh are pleased with how we have managed to keep the majority of our front line players. Obviously way too early to tell but could this be the way forward for Welsh rugby?

Did he go to Toulon too to check things out?

Good move for the Welsh anyway that they can hold on to a few key players.

Podge_irl

Its an interesting development. The regions were fairly dead set against central contracts and this seems to have been done without really getting their approval. Still, it would be difficult to imagine the regions would then turn around and say they don't wan't Warburton to play for them. Wonder if they'll have to pay the WRU for Warburton to play for them or what exactly the situation is.

1st dalkey dalkey

Is it the beginning of the WRU taking back control of their clubs.

The threat by the clubs to leave the Pro 12 and the H/Cup and go play in the PRL would lead to the end of professional Welsh rugby, slowly followed by the end of a competitive International team. They could not allow that to happen, thus this move and their recent statement of intent to create 3 new regions if the clubs went ahead. A few more senior central contract signings would put them in a position to carry out their strategy, if pushed to it. Will the clubs push?

Of perhaps more interest, is the RFU watching and wondering if this approach would work for them. Equally, the FFR know that their international team is slowly being strangled by their clubs tendency to buy in foreign talent rather then bring on their own. Will they see this as a partial solution to their problem.

Have the Unions finally woken up to the danger they faced?

aimee1

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9134783,00.html

strange. Warburton could end up playing in just 12 test matches a season

Rightwing

aimee1 wrote: »

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9134783,00.html

strange. Warburton could end up playing in just 12 test matches a season

It's some mess in Wales at the moment, have to give him credit though, had 2 offers from France, and stuck with the WRU.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Rightwing wrote: »

It's some mess in Wales at the moment, have to give him credit though, had 2 offers from France, and stuck with the WRU.

There has been talk on 606v2 about loaning welsh players to english clubs next season

Rightwing

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

There has been talk on 606v2 about loaning welsh players to english clubs next season

The likes of Warburton ?

Podge_irl

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

There has been talk on 606v2 about loaning welsh players to english clubs next season

Hmm...not entirely sure how that would work. Considering NH got fined for releasing North I can't imagine PRL would be overly enamoured with the idea of WRU contracted players playing for premiership teams.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Rightwing wrote: »

The likes of Warburton ?

http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/pro12-celtic-league/13423/wru-will-move-their-op-stars-to-england/

Its actually a plan the wru has told agents about

Rightwing

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/pro12-celtic-league/13423/wru-will-move-their-op-stars-to-england/

Its actually a plan the wru has told agents about

That's an interesting development, spells trouble for the likes of Cardiff I think. But it's a bit out of date re Halfpenny at any rate.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Rightwing wrote: »

That's an interesting development, spells trouble for the likes of Cardiff I think. But it's a bit out of date re Halfpenny at any rate.

Yeah the wru came out with it at the start of the month

Larbre34

The PRL may ensure WRU contractors are not accepted by English clubs, in order not to break solidarity with RRW, in which case the Taffs may have some very undercooked test stars on their hands.

Its just another ******* poker game.

Rightwing

Larbre34 wrote: »

The PRL may ensure WRU contractors are not accepted by English clubs, in order not to break solidarity with RRW, in which case the Taffs may have some very undercooked test stars on their hands.

Its just another ******* poker game.

You could easily see that happen, I wonder would the Scots/Italians/Irish take a few ?

irishbucsfan

Al Wyn Jones turned down the central contract offer and signed with the Ospreys it seems. He does seem to be more on the Regions side though from before.

former legend

According to the Telegraph, Warburton's deal is £270,000 per annum, i.e. €325,000. It's a fair wedge of cash for a guy with chronic injury problems but it's not exactly a blockbuster deal for the Lions captain either.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

former legend wrote: »

According to the Telegraph, Warburton's deal is £270,000 per annum, i.e. €325,000. It's a fair wedge of cash for a guy with chronic injury problems but it's not exactly a blockbuster deal for the Lions captain either.

Fair wedge for a guy who has looked distinctly average the few times he does play for the Blues every year too. If there was one guy worth letting go it's Warburton imo

Larbre34

former legend wrote: »

According to the Telegraph, Warburton's deal is £270,000 per annum, i.e. €325,000. It's a fair wedge of cash for a guy with chronic injury problems but it's not exactly a blockbuster deal for the Lions captain stooge either.

FYP.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-sean-obrien-toulon-1284147-Jan2014/

he turned this down??? can't be real

thomond2006

connemara man wrote: »

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-sean-obrien-toulon-1284147-Jan2014/

he turned this down??? can't be real

I really can't believe that figure. Wilkinson is/was on that kind of money but he is an icon of rugby who probably brings in big sponsorship to the club. Warburton has Welsh duty and is injury prone.

Rightwing

connemara man wrote: »

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-sean-obrien-toulon-1284147-Jan2014/

he turned this down??? can't be real

Massive offer,I knew he had 2 contract offers from France, but that would seem almost impossible to turn down.

aimee1

connemara man wrote: »

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sam-warburton-sean-obrien-toulon-1284147-Jan2014/

he turned this down??? can't be real

either Mourad has really gone mad or the Sam Warburton he watches is different from the one the rest of us watch. I dont get the hype about Warburton at all.

former legend

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/25921626

Comments from AW Jones on his decision to turn down the central contract:

Jones said there was no certainty of continuing to play for the Ospreys if he had taken up the WRU offer.

"Had there been an agreement where I knew I would definitely have been in the Ospreys it would have been more difficult for me to choose," he said.

"I am guaranteed rugby with the Ospreys. Admittedly, I don't know which competition I am going to be playing in, but the way the situation is at the minute if I had signed a central contract I wasn't guaranteed rugby and I didn't know what competition I was playing in.

"You could say I've gone with the safer option. I haven't tried to be controversial."

death1234567

aimee1 wrote: »

I dont get the hype about Warburton at all.

I agree. He shouldn't have been in the lions team nevermind captain and Tipuric is a better option for Wales.

.ak

I'm a massive Tips fan, and at times I've been very critical of Warburton, but after the 2nd test in Australia I have no doubt in my mind that Warburton is an absolute freak at the breakdown. It's not fancy Pocock kinda stuff, but for a tall lad he's near immovable over the ball. He's also hits ruck like a 2nd row, and when the squeeze comes on he can stay in there. Tipuric in the loose and as a link man is a great player but isn't as strong in the breakdown and can get blown out of it.

penybont exile

death1234567 wrote: »

I agree. He shouldn't have been in the lions team nevermind captain and Tipuric is a better option for Wales.

Nonsense .... if Warburton hadn't got injured the Lions would probably have won the 2nd test.

It was no coincidence that the Aussies started to get quick ball resulting in serious 'go forward' from that moment.

...... for those who are tempted .... spare me the JD missed tackle ... (broken record).

molloyjh

former legend wrote: »

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/25921626

Comments from AW Jones on his decision to turn down the central contract:

I find that AWJ interview bizarre. He claims that the Ospreys can offer him guaranteed games but the WRU cannot. Surely that's absolutely 100% incorrect? The WRU decide what competitions Welsh teams play in and so if the Regions remain under the remit of the WRU he is guaranteed the games that the WRU approve. If the Regions leave the WRU they'll need to find another Union to take them on, which is by no means guaranteed. If anything it's unlikely.

So in both possible outcomes he's guaranteed games under the central contract. In the event if the Regions leaving the WRU and him being contracted to Ospreys there is no guarantee of anything at all.

CatFromHue

Yeah I didn't follow his argument either.

Podge_irl

molloyjh wrote: »

I find that AWJ interview bizarre. He claims that the Ospreys can offer him guaranteed games but the WRU cannot. Surely that's absolutely 100% incorrect? The WRU decide what competitions Welsh teams play in and so if the Regions remain under the remit of the WRU he is guaranteed the games that the WRU approve. If the Regions leave the WRU they'll need to find another Union to take them on, which is by no means guaranteed. If anything it's unlikely.

So in both possible outcomes he's guaranteed games under the central contract. In the event if the Regions leaving the WRU and him being contracted to Ospreys there is no guarantee of anything at all.

The regions have claimed they won't allow any centrally contracted players to play for them. So regardless of what competition the Ospreys end up in, if they are still independently owned a player on a central contract could find himself with no team to play for.

molloyjh

Podge_irl wrote: »

The regions have claimed they won't allow any centrally contracted players to play for them. So regardless of what competition the Ospreys end up in, if they are still independently owned a player on a central contract could find himself with no team to play for.

Given the number of players they have lost and are losing to France do they really have that luxury?

Podge_irl

molloyjh wrote: »

Given the number of players they have lost and are losing to France do they really have that luxury?

Well I don't think so but they're concerned about central contracts being brought in by stealth so they were quite adamant they wouldn't play any players on them.

Honestly, I have no clue what they'll actually do.