Blow-up looming between NRC teams Greater Sydney Rams and Sydney Stars over Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale

THE Greater Sydney Rams want Waratahs stars Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale allocated to their club but the Sydney Stars insist the players are theirs.

THE Greater Sydney Rams have officially requested Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale be allocated as “cornerstone” stars to their National Rugby Championship club, but the outraged Sydney Stars say it would be “appalling” and dictatorial if the ARU stripped them of the Wallabies fullback.

The good vibes of the NRC announcement on Monday were short-lived as a heated battle erupted yesterday over the services of Folau, despite the likelihood the star won’t ever lace up a boot in the new competition.

Folau is a member of powerhouse club Sydney University — who aligned with Balmain to create the Stars — but grew up in western Sydney, the home turf of the Rams.

ARU boss Bill Pulver said on Monday the national union have the power to allocate marquee Wallaby players to the nine NRC clubs, and though this was slammed as “premature” by RUPA yesterday, the Rams have already requested they get Folau (Minto), Beale (Mount Druitt) and Tatafu Polota-Nau (Granville) to serve as, at least, high-profile ambassadors.

“We certainly identified Israel, Kurtley and Tatafu as our three cornerstone demographic bridge players,” Rams tender manager Geoff Harper told NewsCorp.

“We are saying (to the ARU), recognising that Greater Sydney represents about 10 per cent of the population of Australia, if we are going to reach that properly and have an impact on the Wanderers and the rugby league and GWS, we need in the first place some marquee players allocated under the Wallabies program who connect to our market. And secondly we need to be given a chance to put a competitive team on the paddock as well.”

The Rams are made up of Eastwood, West Harbour, Penrith, Parramatta and Southern Districts, and the ARU say “geographical considerations” will be a factor when distributing four Wallabies to each of the NRC teams.

In a strongly worded response, however, Sydney University president David Mortimer said it would be outrageous for the ARU to send Folau elsewhere.

“Israel is one of our players, he is a member of the (Sydney Uni) club,” Mortimer said.

“We don’t expect him to play because he’ll be with the Wallabies, but we expect him, as we expect all of our Waratahs players, to be part of our consortium.

“To put it mildly, we would very disappointed if he or Kurtley, or any other of those big names already associated with a club, are distributed willy-nilly to other parties, who haven’t invested in them.

“The only reason I can think that anyone would be induced to another place would be financial, or by some sort of dictatorship, if you like, for no value.

“Israel chose to come to the club two years ago, and to have him dispatched to another club who have not paid any attention to him, is very much the wrong thing to do. Same with all the players.

“The Wallabies who play for our club don’t want to play anywhere else, it’s a simple fact.

“It would seem wrong for a player who is a member of one club to be promoting another club. It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Wallaby players are unlikely to play in the NRC unless not selected in the Test squad on any given week. Big names will be valuable for marketing, however.

Asked if he saw promotional value in Folau promoting rugby in western Sydney, Mortimer said: “Is it a promotion game, or is it a competition? We are also in the business of promoting our side, so to have players re-possessed would have a very sour taste.

“The Western Rams already have four (sic) sides. They have Eastwood, who was in the Grand Final last year, they have West Harbour, who are a serious club, and a few minnows.

“We have spent serious money developing players over the last ten years. We haven’t just relied on players coming to the club. We have invested in them, with professional administration, professional coaching and professional medical care, all the way through. To have that ignored would be an appalling disgrace. I presume it won’t happen.”

It is expected four Wallabies will be allocated to each NRC side, and will have a set quota (probably 16) of professionally contracted players as well. All other spots will be club players.

Contrary to Pulver’s statements on Monday, the issues of player allocation, squad sizes and quotas — and even player payments — have yet to be finalised.

An agitated RUPA boss Greg Harris met with Pulver yesterday but said prior that the competition structure and regulations had not agreed to by players and their board.

“It is the ARU’s responsibility to manage the game and run these competitions, however, RUPA and the ARU have not yet reached final agreement on a number of important factors which will affect the players in participating in the National Rugby Championships,” Harris said.

Herbert said the Rams are still negotiating about where they will play their home games in the first season. They are strongly considering playing their televised game at either Parramatta Stadium or Sportingbet Stadium in Penrith, and dividing the rest between the home grounds of their constituent clubs.

Meanwhile, the NSW Country team is expected to be made up of a combination of “Country of Origin” professionals based in Sydney, players from the bush and Easts and Randwick players.