Perpignan refuse to release Hook for 6 Nations training - here we go...

Looks like we're back to the good old days again...
Warren told the players to get it written into their contracts when they moved to France that they would be released for all Wales games and training, regardless of whether it was in the designated IRB international window or not.

Hook appears to of made the same mistake as Alfie (Gareth Thomas) did in Tolouse and accepted a verbal gurantee of being released. Clearly it comes as no suprise that Hook has been told he is not allowed to go on the Pre-6 Nations training camp!

I hope Gatland dumps the clown out of the Welsh squad, what an idiot...

The problem is though that the WRU wants players released when they do not have to be and refuses to pay compensation to the clubs.

Yes Hook should have had it written in, but unless WRU started to pay compensation no club will pay the wages that Hook/Byrne/Phillips are getting in France. Meanwhile the WRU will not do this as they want the players to stay in Wales.

England got themselves in this mess with Stade Francais last year. The thing is, so many players improve such a large amount by playing abroad. The RFU behaved like a bully in that case, something the WRU have tended to do as well.

The ideal situation would be if the WRU would compromise and pay foreign clubs the same per player as they give welsh regions for ealy release of players - and the player made up the shortfall to show their dedication to playing for their country.

You can not get international release written in to a contract.

Of course you can - clubs may not want you but if Hook could have made it a condition of signing. Might have got paid less or thay might not have wanted him then tho

How did Haskell manage it them? You probably can it just means you'll get paid less. Players have their priorities

He has done nothing recently that makes me feel he will be a huge loss unless we get a few injuries in key positions.
He has not been in his clubs 22 for a couple of games but I'm not sure if he is injured or dropped.
I hope Phillips and Byrne are available though.

I believe that the substantial gripe that PRL have had with WRU over early player release is the player insurance and when it transfers from club to country. WRU insurance, in the past, has not conformed to IRB recommendations but with only marginal differences.

If this is the case, it gives the clubs an opportuniy to deny early release even if written into the player's contract, based on the "small print" of insurance requirements. I may be wrong, though.

It all still comes down to the basic conflict that IRB (i.e. the countries) voted for international windows that nearly all countries consider insufficient, and are often outraged when clubs enforce the window.

Where did this little snippet come from as there has been no word of this in the press? we do know that one of the exiles has this problem but not who it is yet so why do you think its Hook?

Its hardly new news is it? We all knew that the exiles would not be released for longer than they have to and its a chance they took.

Out of all the ones now outside Wales only Phillips would be considered 1st choice and he's not on form by all accounts.

I thought Gatland had already said he wasnt going to pick the exiles anyway?

Hook's been dreadful for wales recently, jack of all trades and a master of none. He shouldn't be shoehorned in to the welsh team, we have more than enough capable players in wales.

drop him.

currently his best possition is on the bench.

hook seems to have a bee in his bonnet over not playing 10. as long as wellies and preistland, jd2 and roberts, and halfpenny are fit there is no place for hook in the xv.

maestegmafia wrote:You can not get international release written in to a contract.

Bowe has
Danielli has

geoff998rugby wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:You can not get international release written in to a contract.

Bowe has
Danielli has

so, hook is either not as clever as bowe or danielli, or he is stupider than bowe and danielli

Or disenchanted with playing for Wales.
Probably fed up with Gatland telling him he had to play 10 and his region refussing to pick him there. Then getting asked to play in any position Wales / Ospreys cant fill and getting critisized for doing it.

Hook didnt have a great last six months. I have watched plenty of the top 14 and I think he is playing well, even if his team aren't doing well. Many teams that usually do well in the Top 14 are struggling.

There dont seem to be any Welsh players with international clauses in their contract, so I doubt that it exists.

Players like Bowe have a free agreement with the Ospreys as far as i can tell. The Ospreys value his international profile.

The WRU will not curtail to organisations like the PRL, and I believe they are right to do so.

No, they just want the PRL to curtail to the WRU so they can squeeze more cash out of the players

Thankyou Perpignan, keep Hook far away fro the Wales bench

HammerofThunor wrote:No, they just want the PRL to curtail to the WRU so they can squeeze more cash out of the players

The PRL are not the organising body of English Rugby, why would the WRU speak to anyone else...? English rugby needs to get its house in order.

Without doubt the most astute, insightful and well informed thread to ever grace 606v2.

Those that read this are breathing the rarefied air of rugby analysis.

Hook is being paid £750,000 per year at Perpignan apparently. Maybe Perpignan said at that pay level it's all it nothing, take it or leave it, either sign up for us with the normal international release windows or stay in sunny Swansea.

I wonder if Wilkinson has or had an agreement with Toulon because he didn't seem to have too much trouble being released.

Hook wouldn't have much trouble being released in the 'normal' timeframe but they don't have to release him for the extended period Gatland wants the players.

Jonny was only released during normal time frame.

not sure where you get your numbers from but the figures I saw a couple of times on his wage are 1,000,000 gbp over 3 years or 380,000 euros per year. Wilkinson is at 400 keuros per year and Chabal at 340k€/year as a comparison.

Casartelli wrote:Without doubt the most astute, insightful and well informed thread to ever grace 606v2.

Those that read this are breathing the rarefied air of rugby analysis.

i take it you are a fan of the hook.

he'll be back.

Oh well!

Thats what happens when you put earning money ahead of the honour of wearing your national shirt.

He might want to find out how much that translates to in "new Francs"

Perpignan are only required by the IRB to release players for international duty for the recognised 30 day period.

They are under no obligation to release anyone for more than those 30 days as they are not compensated for the loss of the player outside that time frame.

And Perpignan are absolutely right to do so as they pay Hooks wages.

The WRU always asks for extra it knows it is not entitled too but then refuses to pay up. If the WRU wants unlimited access to players for free then it should centrally contract them and keep them in Wales.

HERSH wrote:Oh well!

Thats what happens when you put earning money ahead of the honour of wearing your national shirt.

Totally agree. Fortunately, like other posters I don't think we'll miss him. We have 3 outside halfs that are international standard and a plethora of centres who probably deserve a chance. I think Ashley Beck might break through this season personally...Hook my be a former Wales international now...

maestegmafia wrote:Hook didnt have a great last six months. I have watched plenty of the top 14 and I think he is playing well, even if his team aren't doing well. Many teams that usually do well in the Top 14 are struggling.

There dont seem to be any Welsh players with international clauses in their contract, so I doubt that it exists.

Players like Bowe have a free agreement with the Ospreys as far as i can tell. The Ospreys value his international profile.

The WRU will not curtail to organisations like the PRL, and I believe they are right to do so.

Do you know why Hook is not playing at present? Not in the match day 22 last two games, including a win at last to follow 7 consecutive losses. Has he been dropped or is he injured?

Has Henson got a chance if Hook is out?

Not unless he gets some gametime under his belt pretty sharpish.

Any Blues fans shed light on when he is due to play, I know theye were hoping for it to be this round of double headers but didn't work that way

I'm wondering if he'll even play before the 6N as the comeback date keeps being put back - he was meant to play for the Blues before the WC finished, and then it was the Leinster game then it's the Edinburgh away game, they'll probably tout the Dragons xmas game next - you have to wonder if maybe filming the Bachelor 2(Back on the Market) is aggrivating his wrist - if you know what I mean...

How did Haskell manage it them?

He didn't, there was a big stink in the 6N when Stade Francias wanted him back during a rest week and the RFU said no.

Jonny was only released during normal time frame

Thought he was available through out. He was never included in the EPS announcement but was always there for all of the training.

The PRL are not the organising body of English Rugby

Think you'll find it's members hold all the players within the AP contracts though. They organise the AP and forced the RFU to compensate them for England call ups. The WRU are faintly moronic if they think the PRL are going to jepordise the lucrative deal that it took 5 years to organise with the RFU in order for the WRU to call up two players at will. Even when the PRL tried to play nice and let the Welsh and other internationals out to their squads early the WRU refused to pay the additional insurance that the PRL wanted in order for the players to be released.

The WRU took the bully boy stance, got left with no leg to stand on and threw a tantrum.

I don't think the WRU just expected the PRL to do anything - the WRU wanted to keep all it's money within Wales to support the Welsh regions, so they decided not to set a precident of paying the PRL as there was only a few players in the English league system who were in the squad (people can argue for and against the fact that maybe a few more WQ players in the AP were better than the players currently in the Wales squad at them times), and felt there wasn't enough players in the AP that were critical to the Welsh team to justify changing their stance.

The WRU did go about things in a very bullying and cack handed way though, and the Western Mail did run some ridiculous stories about players being 'trapped' and held against their will.

I still back the WRU's stance and the PRL's as well (if not either of their ways of doing things) as the only players playing in the AP are fringe/squad players so the WRU might as well keep the money in Wales. And the PRL need to protect their contracts to ensure their clubs get as much money as possible.

And dont forget that the WRU had to negotiate hard with its own Regions representational organnisation on all sorts of matters, including the 4th AI.
Im yet to hear the PRL threaten legal action to stop Wales from playing a game.

Yeah thats another reason the WRU don't want to give money to the PRL coz it would weaken their position with the regions (and leave them with less money to use to encourage the regions to give up players for the 4th AI)

I notice PSW that you've still got the lame location of Waleshire from when you pretended to support Wales in the WC after England got knocked out even though you still wum frequently on most Welsh threads.

The WRU did go about things in a very bullying and cack handed way though, and the Western Mail did run some ridiculous stories about players being 'trapped' and held against their will.

Priest,

How dare you, can't believe anyone could possibly suggest that the WRU do things cack handedly or that the Wastern Fail publish ridiculous stories.

Go hang your head in shame

I don't know what I was thinking!

Smirnoffpriest wrote:Yeah thats another reason the WRU don't want to give money to the PRL coz it would weaken their position with the regions (and leave them with less money to use to encourage the regions to give up players for the 4th AI)

I notice PSW that you've still got the lame location of Waleshire from when you pretended to support Wales in the WC after England got knocked out even though you still wum frequently on most Welsh threads.

I didnt "pretend " to support them, I did support them. And I wasnt aware I was wumming this thread. If its that much of a problem have me deported but cut out the needless personal attacks.

You wasn't/aren't wumming on this thread, I was refering to other threads/posts - and I apologies if you feel I was attacking you personally but all I did is point out that you (IMO) wum on Welsh threads - I didn't think that was very personal.

I'd couldn't and wouldn't deport anyone - especially not someone who isn't even in the country I'm in.

But I do apologies - just I fear 606V2 is going the same way as 606 did, with most threads brought down by tired wumming - luckily the majority (or which I pompously include you and me) do post decent serious subjects/posts most of the time.

Thats alright smirnoff i was just being a dick to avoid the flack

Youre quite right, i do try and avoid the petty squabbling and stick to daft jokes. Youll find I mock everyone equally, including England.

Feel free to be pompous, and report me to the mods if I cross the line