Wallabies halfback Will Genia in talks to return to Australia amid strike drama at his French club

WALLABIES halfback Will Genia will use the controversial merger of his French club Stade Francais with rival Racing Metro to secure a return to Australia.

Stade Francais halfback Will Genia is in talks to return home.

WALLABIES halfback Will Genia will use the controversial merger of his French club Stade Francais with Parisian rival Racing Metro to secure a return to Australia.

Genia is well-advanced in negotiations with the ARU about a new contract and is set to become the latest Wallaby star to pack up and head home from the cashed-up European leagues.

The first-choice Wallabies No.9, who began playing in France after the 2015 World Cup, has been in talks with Michael Cheika for several months, prior to the drama surrounding Stade Francais’ historic merger with Racing.

But the drama surrounding the merger of the two century-old clubs, that is likely to see Genia’s Stade Francais teammates go on strike, will be the perfect cover for the Wallaby to move on without fuss.

Stade Francais halfback Will Genia is in talks to return home.

Genia is eyeing off a return to the Queensland Reds and is likely to be back permanently in Australia by June.

Negotiations on Genia’s return have a tricky element to deal with in the shape of English club Bath, who have a first right of refusal for Genia’s services.

He initially signed with the UK Premiership club in 2015 but Stade Francais later negotiated to buy the rights to Genia’s contract, which expires next year.

An early release by Stade Francais would see Genia return to Bath’s books, and he’d need formal release form that contract as well.

Though Genia had been working towards a release from Stade Francais for several months, the high drama thrown up by the Racing merger has provided the opportunity for it to be smoothly achieved.

From France to Australia.

The two squads of the clubs amounts to 90 players but it must be cut back to 45, and based on the criteria offered by Racing owner Jacki Lorenzetti, Genia is likely to be released without fuss.

“Merit will be the criteria, probably youth and the factor of being selectable for France,” Lorenzetti said.

Racing no. 9 Maxime Machenaud is the current Test halfback for France and with a new patriotic push to improve the French Test team underway, Genia will no doubt be a highly-paid foreigner they’d be willing to let depart.

Stade Francais officials have more pressing issues to address in the short-term, though.

Unhappy players are likely to strike after voting voted overwhelmingly — at “99.8 per cent” — for the action and will not train or play in Saturday’s Top 14 clash against Castres, vice-captain Pascal Pape said.

Pape, a 65-times capped France international, slammed the merging of the winners of the past two Top 14 titles into one super club as “the death of 136 years of the club’s history”.

Originally published as Wallabies halfback Will Genia in talks to return to Australia amid strike drama at his French club