Payto & Panda: Lachie Turner in talks with Queensland Reds; third tier discussions continue

CURSED Waratahs and Wallaby winger Lachie Turner could defect to arch-rivals Queensland Reds to revive his career.

Lachie Turner

CURSED Waratahs and Wallaby winger Lachie Turner could defect to arch-rivals Queensland Reds to revive his career.

Turner is off contract with the Waratahs and is seriously considering taking up an offer from the Reds, who are hunting an experienced outside back to replace Digby Ioane (France) and Luke Morahan (Force).

Officially, Turner and the Waratahs remain in talks but it’s believed there is little chance of him staying. It is understood he also has an overseas offer, and will make a call in the next few weeks.

It’s been a tough couple of years for Turner, who has effectively sat out the last two seasons after badly tearing a hamstring in 2012 and breaking his leg this year. It is understood Richard Graham remains a big fan and believes there are many good years to come from the flyer, who is still only 26.

Turner, who has played 71 Super games and 15 Tests, was in good form for the Wallabies at the end of 2011.

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THE ARU is strongly considering digging up the bones of the Australian Rugby Championship to serve as the basic structure for a new, 10-team third-tier competition next season.

But the ghosts of the old ARC also continue to linger, with the same budget blackhole that sank the 2007 tournament threatening to swallow the new ARU proposal as well.

Bill Pulver is a big believer in investing heavily in development and after months of strategic review, a new pathway and season structures have been the subject of board discussions at the ARU this week.

It is understood states are to get their academies back – 10 players each – and state under 20s programs are also returning.

Under Super Rugby, the new season structure would see a Super B/reserve team competition in Feb-March, followed by club rugby seasons, which would finish in late July.

A national third-tier competition would then be played in August, September and October. Like the ARC, teams from Melbourne, Perth and Canberra would be included, along with several teams each from Sydney and Brisbane. Some would be regional (think Western Sydney) and there is speculation big clubs could also buy licences to run teams. All non-Wallabies players would be available for an ITM-Cup equivalent.

The problem is – as always – the cost. The ARC was killed off after losing $8m in one year and the new venture would apparently still require at least half that sum to run. Anything national requires flights and hotels. 

With precious little money to spare, the ARU are hoping to find a fair chunk of that change by selling TV rights to FoxSports, but the price tag falls apparently into the wishful thinking category. Stay tuned.

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Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said recently he was searching for a Burgess brother (of the Rabbitohs ilk) to add mongrel to his forward pack. He wasn’t joking either, apparently.

We’re told Cheika ran his eye over at least one bullocking Roosters forward with the serious notion of converting him to rugby. (Not ex-rugby players SBW or JWH, either). He ended up signing Springboks flanker Jacques Potgieter.

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Melbourne Rebels are expected to soon announce the signing of rising Randwick playmaker David Horwitz. The five-eighth/centre went on NSW’s tour of Argentina but was only offered an EPS contract, with Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale, Jonno Lance and Ben Volavola ahead of him.

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Money makes the world go around and Toulon the best rugby club in the northern hemisphere.

Now it seems the deep pockets of Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal will make the oft-discussed world club championship game happen as well.

After winning the Heineken Cup last year stocked with names like Giteau, Wilkinson and Bakkies, Toulon are keen to play Super Rugby champs, the Chiefs. French reports say it could happen on February 2, with old Mourad footing the bill.