Michael Paterson lost sleep over Cardiff offer By RICHARD KNOWLER
Michael Paterson has no regrets about joining the pre-Rugby World Cup exodus and signing with the Cardiff Blues. Despite being a genuine prospect for this year's All Blacks squad, and the one that will contest next year's global tournament in New Zealand, the Canterbury lock/blindside flanker will join former Crusaders Casey Laulala and Ben Blair at the Welsh club on a three-year deal.
"I have had some pretty sleepless nights over the last couple of weeks... "At the end of the day, I had to put a mark in the sand and I have just run with it," Paterson, 25, said yesterday. "And now I am thoroughly looking forward to the opportunity of being over there with the New Zealand lads that are playing in Cardiff."
Paterson, who was drafted to the Hurricanes this season after three years at the Crusaders, joins other Super 14 players such as Tamati Ellison, Ti'i Paulo, Thomas Waldrom, Tim Bateman and Daniel Bowden leaving New Zealand. After the naming of the All Blacks squad yesterday, forwards coach Steve Hansen indicated Paterson had been a contender until he made himself unavailable.
"At the end of the day, I had to go to make my own future certain. "I guess it was a bit uncertain here and now I have got some certainty for the next three years," Paterson said. "In New Zealand, I was going to have to make another decision about where I was going to play my NPC, because that was still up in the air. "And then there was the Super 14."
Paterson said he had not had any in-depth conversations with the All Blacks coaches. Lengthy talks with Laulala encouraged him to sign with Cardiff, where he was likely to be used in the back row or play as lock. Although he is likely to be paid far more in his new job than he earned in New Zealand, Paterson would not criticise the New Zealand Rugby Union for not matching such offers. "At the end of the day, rugby players in New Zealand get paid very well. "And to do something we love and get paid for is a great opportunity. "I guess the opportunities abroad are probably a bit greater than what they are here, but we just don't have the population here to support big salaries," he said.
This is a suprise - am I on my own in thinking that we have enough Kiwis already (and not enough Splott boys being dragged up into the Blues squad).
Maybe that is a naieve opinion, but with Rush staying do we need him for the back row? I think the Heineken Cup squad does need a team and bench comprised of stars. If he is coming for his second-row ability it seems that Deniol may be our number four behind Tito, Davies and the new guy.
I wonder how we are paying for him - it is not as if the crowds at the Cardiff City Stadium will be sufficient to pay his wages. Dai Young was only just saying that new signings were unlikely.
How does this fit with the WRU quota?
Paul Tito qualifies as "Welsh" now on account of being uncapped and 3 years residency so you can discount him.
Paterson's contract was probably agreed during the period that we thought Xavier Rush was leaving for Ulster. He's been signed for three years at the end of which he will qualify as "Welsh".
Dan Parks has already qualified as a UK player
Currently after the ins & outs, our "foreign" stars on current contract will be:
1. Xavier Rush - NZ capped - more than 3 years EU residency
2. Ben Blair - NZ capped - more than 3 years EU residency
3. Casey Laulala - NZ capped - moved to Cardiff Blues Autumn 2009
4. Michael Paterson - NZ uncapped - New signing
5. Taufa'ao Filise - Tonga capped - more than 3 years EU residency
6. Ma'ama Molitika - Tonga capped - more than 3 years EU residency
I'm not 100% positive about Ben Blair though, isn't his wife entitled to a UK passport ? In which case he also is and would therefore qualify as a UK player.
P.S. Andries Pretorius has already qualified with 4 years UK residency.
Following Cardiff RFC all over from sunny Bournemouth in Blue and Black
Or does it mean that Xavier Rush is off to Ulster and not staying on as has been suggeted everywhere?
I've seen nothing official to say he's staying.
"But his decision join fellow Kiwis Casey Laulala, Ben Blair and Paul Tito to the Blues ends his All Blacks hopes. "
Xav isn't mentioned in the article on BBC Wales sport re. Paterson, only Laulala, Blair and Tito.
All of the usual suspects are saying that the Rush / Ulster deal has fallen through and he is staying with us.
Confirmation of Rush staying put expected tomorrow so says the Western Wail
Blair is EU qualified through his wife. Laulala is Samoan by birth, so Kolpak.
PhilBB: Blair is EU qualified through his wife. Laulala is Samoan by birth, so Kolpak.
What does that actually mean, with regard to the gentlemans agreement, if you can call it that, with the WRU about the number of non Welsh qualified?
HEC and ML rules allow two non-EU qualified players per registered squad. To the best of my knowledge, only SNK and Tito are non-EU qualified players in the squad at the moment. If Tito has been a good boy and spent enough time here then he could well apply for EU working rights. I think that's how it works, anyway. I think that it is a continuous stay of three years to qualify without the need for a visa, but I could be wrong on that. Anyways, Tito will be coming up for three years' residency.
The agreement with the WRU is, as much as I can tell, a payment for employing 17/22 on average Welsh players per matchday squad and an agreement to not employ too many non-Welsh qualified players. As this chap is not capped by any other nation then, like Tito, he can be claimed to be Welsh qualifying.
All a bit of a shambles, really.
PhilBB: HEC and ML rules allow two non-EU qualified players per registered squad. To the best of my knowledge, only SNK and Tito are non-EU qualified players in the squad at the moment. If Tito has been a good boy and spent enough time here then he could well apply for EU working rights. I think that's how it works, anyway. I think that it is a continuous stay of three years to qualify without the need for a visa, but I could be wrong on that. Anyways, Tito will be coming up for three years' residency. The agreement with the WRU is, as much as I can tell, a payment for employing 17/22 on average Welsh players per matchday squad and an agreement to not employ too many non-Welsh qualified players. As this chap is not capped by any other nation then, like Tito, he can be claimed to be Welsh qualifying. All a bit of a shambles, really.
It is a shambles, agreed. I didn't realise that there was a payment, from the WRU, linked to the 17/22 and I didn't realise that it was based on an average, I thought that a team had to include 17 Welsh qualified players, period. It is interesting that pretty much all our "overseas" players will now be EU qualified for the HC. I thought that Tito will actually qualify for Wales this season but I don't think he will make himself available to Gatland, would that still mean that he would be seen by the WRU as non-Welsh?
http://www.wru.co.uk/22135.php
Note how the above is worded, on the WRU site, including "is intended to" and not that Paterson is a time serving player (Pretorious being the other). Tito will be, by IRB regulations, Wales qualfiied come the summer, assuming that he's stayed here enough over the off seasons.
When this agreement was first announced the WM broke the story with news about payments being in place if aims are achieved. Primary amongst this was the matchday average of 17 players being Wq. Of course, if the sensible option is taken and matchday squads increase to 23 in line with England and France then this allows all non-Wq players to be in the squad for each game, making a further mockery of the target.