Yayarg
02-01-2006, 10:32 AM
Dragons hose down Barrett speculation
1 January 2006
Speculation that St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett will link with English rugby league heavyweight Wigan as early as this year has been hosed down by his NRL club.
But Wigan will reportedly use its Australian coach Ian Millward as a trump card in its bid to lure the classy five-eighth to England by 2007.
Barrett has a get-out clause in his contract that would enable him to play in England after the 2006 NRL season.
But due to a loophole - which Andrew Johns used to play for Warrington in 2005 - being left open by the world governing body, Barrett could run on for Wigan in the closing stages of the 2006 English Super League season.
The rumour mill went into overdrive after Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay recently arrived in Australia for Christmas.
It followed a reported sighting of Barrett with Millward and Lindsay at a restaurant at Wigan's home ground JJB Stadium during the Tri Nations series in November.
However, Dragons chairman Peter Doust and Barrett's manager Wayne Beavis said talk linking the star 28-year-old Australian half with Wigan was just that.
"I know Maurice comes here every Christmas so I don't think there is anything particular about his visit," Doust said.
"I haven't been notified by Trent or his manager that they were meeting.
"He does have a clause in his contract in that if he wishes to opt out of the Dragons at the end of 2006 he can do so but only with an overseas club.
"They (Wigan) are probably hoping that would be the case but I don't have any information that would suggest that that's likely."
Beavis said Lindsay had been visiting Australia for Christmas "for the last 15 years".
"I have had no formal discussions with Maurice. Everyone is acutely aware that Trent has a get out clause for 2007 and that's where the speculation has come from."
Beavis said Barrett had not yet indicated whether he would use his get-out clause.
"It's a matter of me sitting down with Trent at the appropriate time and finding out what he wants to do," he said.
"We've got to give notice by June 30. But at this stage we haven't even sat down and discussed it.
However, Wigan coach Millward will use his former Illawarra ties with Barrett to sign the Australian pivot according to The Guardian newspaper in England.
Millward was assistant to Illawarra head coach Allan McMahon in 1996 when Barrett made his first grade debut for the Steelers and stayed on for another two years as Andrew Farrar's deputy.
If Barrett is in its sights, Wigan will be determined to get its man after Dragons centre Mark Gasnier rejected two previous offers from the Warriors to stay in the NRL.
Even if Barrett signs with Wigan for 2007 he could feasibly play the last remaining games of the 2006 season with the Warriors if the Dragons miss out on the NRL finals, just as Johns did in 2005.
Rugby league's governing body opted not to close the loophole allowing Australian-based players to join Super League clubs on short-term deals.
The International Federation met in Leeds in November and decided to leave the matter in the hands of each league.
1 January 2006
Speculation that St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett will link with English rugby league heavyweight Wigan as early as this year has been hosed down by his NRL club.
But Wigan will reportedly use its Australian coach Ian Millward as a trump card in its bid to lure the classy five-eighth to England by 2007.
Barrett has a get-out clause in his contract that would enable him to play in England after the 2006 NRL season.
But due to a loophole - which Andrew Johns used to play for Warrington in 2005 - being left open by the world governing body, Barrett could run on for Wigan in the closing stages of the 2006 English Super League season.
The rumour mill went into overdrive after Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay recently arrived in Australia for Christmas.
It followed a reported sighting of Barrett with Millward and Lindsay at a restaurant at Wigan's home ground JJB Stadium during the Tri Nations series in November.
However, Dragons chairman Peter Doust and Barrett's manager Wayne Beavis said talk linking the star 28-year-old Australian half with Wigan was just that.
"I know Maurice comes here every Christmas so I don't think there is anything particular about his visit," Doust said.
"I haven't been notified by Trent or his manager that they were meeting.
"He does have a clause in his contract in that if he wishes to opt out of the Dragons at the end of 2006 he can do so but only with an overseas club.
"They (Wigan) are probably hoping that would be the case but I don't have any information that would suggest that that's likely."
Beavis said Lindsay had been visiting Australia for Christmas "for the last 15 years".
"I have had no formal discussions with Maurice. Everyone is acutely aware that Trent has a get out clause for 2007 and that's where the speculation has come from."
Beavis said Barrett had not yet indicated whether he would use his get-out clause.
"It's a matter of me sitting down with Trent at the appropriate time and finding out what he wants to do," he said.
"We've got to give notice by June 30. But at this stage we haven't even sat down and discussed it.
However, Wigan coach Millward will use his former Illawarra ties with Barrett to sign the Australian pivot according to The Guardian newspaper in England.
Millward was assistant to Illawarra head coach Allan McMahon in 1996 when Barrett made his first grade debut for the Steelers and stayed on for another two years as Andrew Farrar's deputy.
If Barrett is in its sights, Wigan will be determined to get its man after Dragons centre Mark Gasnier rejected two previous offers from the Warriors to stay in the NRL.
Even if Barrett signs with Wigan for 2007 he could feasibly play the last remaining games of the 2006 season with the Warriors if the Dragons miss out on the NRL finals, just as Johns did in 2005.
Rugby league's governing body opted not to close the loophole allowing Australian-based players to join Super League clubs on short-term deals.
The International Federation met in Leeds in November and decided to leave the matter in the hands of each league.