Berrick Barnes signs with Tahs

[Fushitsusha]

The Reds to finish last next year...

Barnes moves to Waratahs
Super Waratahs Barnes

BRISBANE, July 29 AAP - Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes is set to announce he's moving to play with the NSW Waratahs in next year's super 14 competition in a massive blow to the Queensland Reds.

 

[Woldog]

Move Ben Lucas to fly half, Quade Cooper to colts and put Turinui and Ioane as centers.

 

[Fushitsusha]

Hopefully Ioane doesn't follow him to the Tahs...


Barnes to switch to Waratahs

Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes is set to announce he's moving to play with the NSW Waratahs in next year's super 14 competition in a massive blow to the Queensland Reds.

Barnes is expected to front a press conference in Sydney today at 2.30pm to reveal he will end his four-year stint with the battling Reds.

It's understood the talented playmaker will sign a one-year deal with the Waratahs, more than cushioning NSW's blow in losing fellow league convert Timana Tahu.

Barnes was expected to remain with the Reds, who had worked feverishly to keep their vice-captain, after a prolonged negotiation process which started at the end of the Super 14.

But the 23-year-old, who switched to rugby after two years with the Brisbane Broncos, has been increasingly disillusioned by the battling franchise's woes on the field.

In Barnes' four seasons at Ballymore, the Reds never finished higher than third last.

Queensland coach Phil Mooney was upset by his key player's defection, especially after believing the QRU had met all of Barnes' requests to remain.

"I can assure anyone involved in Queensland rugby, any stakeholder, we believed we satisfied any request he'd made,'' Mooney told AAP.

"We certainly haven't left any stone unturned. We worked very hard to keep him.

"But one thing about it, no-one is bigger than the team.''

Barnes' loss places extra importance to the development of mercurial five-eighth Quade Cooper as a reliable playmaker.

While the popular 17-Test centre wore the Reds No.12 for the bulk of 2009, he was Queensland's most influential backline player in both defence and attack.

Mooney admitted the Reds would explore replacements both in Australia and overseas but said they had a natural contingency with former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui returning from shoulder surgery in 2010.

"Morgan has played Test rugby as an inside centre, he's very experienced, and we have other options as well.''


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/ba...8546758823.html

 

[Maccaweeny]

A Halangahu, Barnes pairing wouldn't be too shabby.

 

[Woldog]

Nonu and Ioane partnership is what I want for the Centers.

 

[Fushitsusha]

Will Barnes see the ball all the way out there at inside centre for the Waratahs? :lol:

 

[William18]

I feel a bit sorry for the reds. Losing a lot of players.

 

[Woldog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (William18 @ Jul 29 2009, 05:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I feel a bit sorry for the reds. Losing a lot of players.[/b]

One player? I hope we can still field a team.

 

[QLD]

f***ing ****

We dont need turncoats who will turn on the Red jersey.

Hope the merkin enjoys touching the ball three times every game.

 

[Wally]

What a gammin' c***, is he f***ing serious? F*** Barnes and f*** the Reds too. So typical of them to train a player up then lose him at the peak of his powers, this team will never amount to anything.

 

[Woldog]

I would say f*** but I don't care too much lol, until Digby Leaves then I will cry.

 

[Maccaweeny]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fushitsusha @ Jul 29 2009, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Will Barnes see the ball all the way out there at inside centre for the Waratahs? :lol:[/b]

All depends on whether Burgess manages to pass it that far before his famous box kick.

 

[Woldog]

At least the Reds will have the Turnstile playing in the centers, or is that a bad thing.

 

[QLD]

I've never been more ****** at a player leaving. He went on about being a true QLDer and wanting to turn things around for the great rugby province. Signing a 1 year deal pretty much means hes going to do a Josh Valentine.

 

[feicarsinn]

Sucks for Reds. They seem to be stuck in that trap where teh team is going badly so players jump ship making the team even worse. Now there are sounds that Digby Ioane is seriously considering his future at the franchise too. Hopefully they can keep him and possibly make a few signings to get some momentum behind them

 

[dundeesmiffy]

 

[munross]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Woldog @ Jul 29 2009, 01:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I would say f*** but I don't care too much lol, until Digby Leaves then I will cry.[/b]

Start collecting your tears Woldog

Ioane ponders life away from the Reds
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The Reds are bracing themselves for another gut-wrenching Super 14 defection as Digby Ioane has admitted that he may follow Berrick Barnes to the NSW Waratahs.

Ioane indicated that all bets were off on Thursday just an hour after Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Ken Freer announced his resignation.

The sniping backliner had a handshake deal with Freer to stay at Ballymore but he could now opt to follow playmaker Barnes south next week.

Ioane says that he is keen to stick with Australia's perennial Super Rugby strugglers but told AAP that Barnes' surprise decision has put a new light on his prolonged contract negotiations.

The injured Wallabies star is now worried that the Reds back line will suffer from Barnes' departure and says that he will "weigh up" his future again this weekend.

"I said to the Reds that I would stay but there's been a big pause in the middle (of the contract process) before Berrick going," he said.

"I want to make the right decision for my future." he told AAP.

"That's the hard thing now that Berrick has gone."

"I just have to do what's the best thing for my rugby.

"I thought Berrick was going to stay but I guess he wasn't happy.

"I just need a bit of time to think over the whole thing."

Barnes has signed a one deal with the Waratahs with an option to stay on for 2011 but it also keeps his options open for the new Super 15 franchise, expected to be from Melbourne.

Victorian-raised Ioane has been targeted by the Melbourne teams but he played down thoughts of a return home.

"It's a new team again and you have to think about we're you can play your best footy," he said.

Ioane's revelation that he is considering his future away from the Reds has hit the Queenslanders hard as they were already reeling from the Berrick Barnes loss.

The Reds have already lost Wallabies forward Hugh McMeniman and started the week believing both Barnes and Ioane, their two best backs this season when they finished second last, were virtually in the bag through to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

"We're doing as much as we can but (Ioane) has intimated to me that he's staying here," said Reds general manager Daniel Herbert.
"But until we sign the contract there's the chance he won't, so we've got to be prepared I suppose."

Whilst ARU Boss John O'Neill says that Australia have enough depth for a fifth Super Rugby team Super 15 the Reds have never really recovered from the expansion of the Super 12 to a Super 14 which saw them lose some of their best players to the Force who Ioane played for in 2006 and 2007.[/b]

www.rugbyweek.co.za

Well it is looking like the 'Tahs are on their way to becoming the "powerhouse" of Australian rugby, they have already signed Drew Mitchell & Barnes and now might also be getting Ioane...
Future seems bright for the Waratahs.

 

[Wally]

This is bullshit. Every Australian side in the competition would be a joke without its Queenslanders. I'm not so annoyed at the players for wanting to go, but rather the organisation which is obviously to blame for turning a once great team into a dead set laughing stock. Nobody wants to play here when all the best players are from Queensland. There's something very wrong with that.

 

[Maccaweeny]

Yeah Queensland has great rugby stock but we could make the same argument about the NSW Brumbies.

 

[Fushitsusha]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Maccaweeny @ Jul 31 2009, 12:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Yeah Queensland has great rugby stock but we could make the same argument about the NSW Brumbies.[/b]

I think you mean the ACT-NSW-QLD-VIC Brumbies... :cheers:

There's still half a dozen locals in the Brumbies squad for next year (which I think is pretty good for a town the size of Canberra - a place that produced Gregan, Larkham and Roff!)... and Ben Alexander went to school here and played in the local competition for a period...

I'm actually surprised by the number of Victorians in the squad right now... but there are quite a few Queenslanders in there...