Barnes weighs up his future
Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:46
Wallabies playmaker Berrick Barnes, is considering whether or not to continue playing for the Reds in next year's Super 14 after enduring a barren few years with the Queensland outfit.
Barnes is expected to make a decision about his future within the next two weeks, but a number of issues still has to be resolved.
Barnes, currently involved with the Wallabies, had been holding off signing until Reds coach Phil Mooney's end-of-season review was completed but the Queensland franchise will be desperate to keep their inspirational player on the books.
"I think Berrick's always said he's a Queenslander and wants to play for Queensland. But he wants to be sure things are being addressed," Mooney told the Brisbane Times.
"A player of his standing, you are dealing with the ARU [Australia Rugby Union] as well. It's not something you can do overnight. There's a few loose ends to tie up."
Barnes previously said that he would have left the franchise if his contract had expired at the end of last season, such was the frustration after another year of hard knocks and Mooney, surprisingly, wasn't shocked by that frank admission.
"Berrick's a young guy who wants success. He works extremely hard for it. I think we all want that now and it's a case of trying to align it all and make sure we do," Mooney said.
"I'm not surprised at all that he said that. It shows his determination to get it right.
"Of the four years he's been here, things were positive for the first half of the year then we had injuries and our form became inconsistent. I think we are laying a foundation but we have to get better across the board.".
However, Mooney believes the outcome of this deal will be positive.
"We're a long way down the track towards retaining him. I think it's fair to say that," Mooney said.
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