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London Irish address the speculation that Curtis Rona went AWOL

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Declan Kidney has responded to speculation that ex-Wallabies midfielder Curtis Rona went AWOL at London Irish amid speculation that he is looking for a move back to NRL in Australia. The 30-year-old, who was capped three times before falling out with Michael Cheika in 2017, made his sporting breakthrough in league, emerging at North Queensland Cowboys before switching to Canterbury Bulldogs.

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It was at Western Force where Rona transitioned into rugby union and following two seasons at the Waratahs, he came to Europe and joined London Irish in 2019 following their return to the Gallagher Premiership as Championship champions.

Now into the second month of his fourth top-flight season at Irish, speculation emerged in the Australian media in recent days that he came close last month to signing a deal to return to the Western Force. However, those negotiations reportedly fell through and with him now said to be keen on NRL return, he allegedly went AWOL.

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A report on nine.com.au read: “Former Wallaby Curtis Rona is poised to return to rugby league after a bizarre series of events in recent weeks. Rona came close to signing with Super Rugby franchise Western Force last month before the deal fell through.

“The 30-year-old outside back then went missing from his current club, London Irish in Britain, last week, and phone calls from friends and teammates have been going unanswered. Sources close to the talented try-scorer have said that Rona is keen on a return to the NRL, with the Gold Coast Titans the favourites to gain his services for next season.”

Having started the opening three London Irish games in this season’s Premiership at outside centre, Rona was omitted for the round four game at home to Bath on October 1. Irish then had a bye week in round five and return to action this Friday at Sale. Ahead of that game, Kidney was asked at his media briefing about the reports that Rona went AWOL. “Leading into the Bath match, Curt wasn’t available for selection,” he said.

“That is one of the positions we are quite comfortable in as well in terms of cover. We have a number of international standard players like Luca Morisi, Lucio Cinti, Will (Joseph). They were all available to play so we played Will in the Bath match (at No13). Obviously, we are always talking to different players at different stages and things like that, but because Curtis was such a steadfast in the team there were bound to be some questions about that.

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“But that was the story going into the Bath match and we had a fallow week last week, so we are just back in training now again this week. We trained Sunday, Monday and we are just back into it today [Wednesday] for final preparations for Friday night. We do talk to players but it’s not appropriate to talk about any individual thing. That is why I wouldn’t broach that now here. But yeah, but that is what happened leading into the Bath match.”

Asked to confirm if Rona was back with the squad at London Irish, Kidney vaguely added: “Yeah, yeah, he is as much as I am here but you never know when any of us is going to be here. I remember being at a Miami Dolphins pre-season camp and the coach was asking about a player and this (other) coach was saying, ‘He will be good, he will be good’.

“He said, ‘Yeah, I know he will be good, I’m just hoping to be in a job when he does come good’. I don’t take anything for granted here myself and it’s the same with everybody, so if there are any changes (with Rona) we will let you know.”

Kidney was speaking to the media at 10:45am on Wednesday. By 4pm the same day, London Irish had confirmed that Rona had left the club with immediate effect.

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

39 Go to comments
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Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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