An open letter to disgruntled Reds … you’re throwing away a shot at Wallabies

Isaac Lucas of the Reds is one of three players to not sign on to the new pay arrangements for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic Picture: AAP

An open letter to Harry Hockings and Isaac Lucas: Gentlemen, you may wonder why I am addressing this letter only to you two and not to the third member of the so-called “Picone Three”, Izack Rodda. It would seem Rodda had a grievance with the Queensland Reds, whereas both of you appear to be happy in your work at Ballymore and well-respected members of the Reds squad. It is a little bit difficult to be definitive because your manager, Anthony Picone, has advised you all to stay silent, but it seems Rodda was deeply upset that coach Brad Thorn chose Liam Wright as Queensland captain this season ahead of him. To be fair, Rodda had been favourite for the job and it was only natural he would be disappointed, although it would have to be said that Wright is shaping up as a very impressive leader.

Rodda is still part of the leadership group and is believed to be the highest-paid member of the Reds squad. By my calculations, even with a massive pay cut, he still would be taking home around $260,000 a year which in these days of a COVID-19 pandemic … heck, in any circumstances…..is still way above what the vast majority of Australian wage-earners are taking home.

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It was not so long ago that things were different, when former Wallaby winger Paul Carozza, the Reds development coach, would drive Rodda from Ipswich down to the Reds Academy at Ballymore for training. And I wonder does Rodda recall who it was that packed down alongside him in the second-row when he made his National Rugby Championship debut back in 2016 for Queensland Country. It was, in fact, Thorn, playing one last season to pass on as much rugby knowledge as Rodda could absorb. How many of his 25 Tests for Australia should Rodda attribute to the coaching of Thorn, one wonders? All of them?

Anyway, whatever the reasons, Rodda appears to have lost patience with Queensland and wants to move on. Not even his late addition to the list of five — and then it was six — Australian players cleared to take a sabbatical could seemingly sway him. Oh well, so be it … But, if I could address this to you, Harry … have you thought this through? What advice are you receiving? If Rodda moves on, that makes you an almost certain starter for Queensland. Heck, it makes you an almost certain starter for Australia.

Harry Hockings. Picture: Rugby AU Media/Stuart Walmsley

I’m certain Dave Rennie would not have told you that because no coach ever likes to make those commitments in advance. But there is little doubt that, if the trans-Tasman borders do come down later this year, you will be making your Test debut somewhere against the All Blacks. And everyone who has seen you play believes you have it in you to be the best Wallabies second-rower since John Eales. That’s a huge call but there it is … And even if you don’t quite measure up, even if you’re “just” the best since, say, Dan Vickerman, well, heck, that’s no load to carry.

Yes, it sucks that you and your generation are the first players since rugby went professional a quarter-century ago to be forced to take a pay cut. And who is to say that there won’t be a permanent downturn in Australian rugby wages? Or indeed in global rugby wages? These are uncertain times but 189 of your peers — in fact, everyone but you three — were prepared to wait out the pandemic. It’s the reason why some of the Reds’ admin staff are working pretty much standard hours for less than a third of their usual wage, just to keep the game alive.

What were you told? That if you didn’t move now you would miss your chance? Well, maybe, but you will be going there as an uncapped player which is good in one respect — you may get more game time given that Japan allows three uncapped foreigners to be on the field at one time — but bad in another. You won’t be a Test player. You might never be. Please don’t think you can cash in and then return to Australia to pick up your Reds and Wallabies career without interruption. Some other lanky lad will have taken the chance you handed to him and chances are he won’t want to give it up.

Wallabies second-rower Izack Rodda. Picture: Jono Searle.

And now you Isaac … like Hockings, you are only 21 and have it all in front of you. You may recall earlier in this year I was talking about you as a prospective Wallabies five-eighth or fullback this year so it is pretty much established I rate you as a player. I know it must be frustrating that you only lasted one game at 10 for the Reds before James O’Connor was chosen there and then Jock Campbell came along to complicate matters at fullback.

Still, it’s trials such as these that test young players and I’m still confident that come 2023, you will be right in the mix for the Wallabies at the World Cup in France.

Perhaps you are taking advice from your brothers, Ben, Matt and Tom. All wonderful players but, with the greatest of respect, journeymen all. They have had to do it tough in rugby and battle for every breakthrough. But their difficult journey need not be your own. As you demonstrated last year, you have the ability to carve up international sides. OK, it was “only” at the World Junior Cup and you were playing behind a dominant Australian Under 20 pack, but the skills were there. You may need time to fill out but you have it in you to be the Lucas family’s first Wallaby. Ben almost made it but in the end John Connolly took Berrick Barnes to the 2007 World Cup and the rest is history. But you can make it.

I don’t know who is giving you advice but it seriously needs to be challenged. There were reports all three of you were taken aback by the media storm that broke on Monday. Of itself, that says that you were poorly briefed. You are coming across as selfish and tone deaf, walking out at the first sign of things getting tough. Yet go and speak with those on JobKeeper and find out what tough is all about. You are only young and the young are forgiven their mistakes. And right now you are making the biggest mistake of your lives.

All the best.