Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? If I Go There Will Be Trouble, If Stay There Will be Double.

This must be what Matt Rogers is singing to himself at the moment as his career takes centre stage in the media this week with Eddie Jones declaring that Rogers has played his last game of Rugby Union. I hope, both for the sake of the game and for the sake of Rogers, that he has played his last game of Union, and that common sense prevails and he is released to go and play for the Titans NRL side next season.

I don't think that any precedent needs to be set by this, except for the precedent that players that aren't performing and whose heart is not in the game, wont be kept in it out of spite or some misguided sense that contracts must be honoured at all costs. Having Rogers in any union side now is likely to do nothing more than adversely affect the team. The Warratahs of course will have to ascertain if Rogers is going to assist their Super 14 campaign in 2007 with an attitude that clearly says he wants to leave the game.

Also, I've said this before and I'll say it again, Aussie rugby union has to stop poaching players from the NRL by opening up the chequebook for the latest flash in the pan player from that code. They are leaving themselves open for this kind of thing to happen when the player no longer wants to play the game. Look at what else has come out this week, Schifcofske and Ryan Cross are both reportedly in the frame for the Wallabies world cup bid in 2007. How does that happen? They've only had one game and a couple of training runs! Seems to me it easier to get into the Wallabies playing in the NRL than it is playing in Super 14!

Seriously, the Aussie Union must take a long hard look at player development. What sort of message does this send to players - no surprises that there are players heading for the fertile rugby playing grounds of New Zealand, in particular the domestic national cup competition. New Zealand rugby will be all the richer for the injection of players from these fair shores.

A high profile player switch of course has ramifications for the game, but how many fans do you think have been turned on to the Wallabies by the likes of Sailor, Tuqiri and Rogers? Make no mistake, these guys are not heartland rugby players in Australia, nor do they appeal to the rugby watching crowd. This is a key period for rugby in Australia and some good decision must be made to preserve the state of the game this close to RWC 2007.