Waerea-Hargreaves

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Position: Flanker
Physical: 195cm, 104kg
Born: 20.01.1989
Club: Northern Suburbs
ARC Caps: 4
ARC Points: 0
ARC Debut: N/A


Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is gun youngster who has impressed plenty with relatively limited appearances in 2007, both in first grade for Northern Suburbs and for the Waratah Academy. Selected to represent Australia at this years iRB U19 world championships in Belfast, the hard-running, tough tackling number six thrives on the physical nature of the game and will get plenty of exposure to it in the ARC.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Waerea-Hargreaves

MANLY have won the race to sign one of the best young rugby union talents in the country after yesterday securing 18-year-old Waratah Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

In a blow to rugby union in the battle between the codes, Waerea-Hargreaves has rejected interest from four other NRL clubs as well as the NSW Waratahs, the Western Force and the New Zealand Rugby Union to link with the Sea Eagles on a two-year deal.

The New Zealand-born back-rower, who has been compared to Bulldogs second-rower Sonny Bill Williams and retired Manly lock Ben Kennedy, was apparently offered by the Sea Eagles up to four times more than the Waratahs were prepared to outlay.

The Watarahs offered him a four-year deal but two of those seasons would have been spent as part of their academy program.

Waerea-Hargreaves was dropped from the Central Coast Rays team to play the East Coast Aces this Sunday in the Australian Rugby Championship.

His manager, Mike Newton, denied the move was a "money grab".

"I wanted him to be in a professional environment next year," Newton said. "I believe his progress and form certainly warranted being a full-time professional, and the Waratahs couldn't offer it.

"He's certainly excited about it. He's always had a genuine interest in rugby league and he has an opportunity to be training with one of the top NRL teams in the competition."

"Being able to play under a bloke like [Manly coach] Des Hasler is a huge privilege for him. He hasn't played league since he was 10 or 11, but I'm sure he'll be well suited to the game."

Newton also said the lure of a State of Origin jumper was a consideration for the player whose teammates at Norths call him Sonny because of his likeness in look and talent to the New Zealand international.

"When I told him that he'd still be eligible for NSW under-19s next year, he said to me, 'does that mean I'll play at Suncorp, does that mean I'd play before the Origin'," he said. "He's always loved Origin, he loves the confrontation, he loves the physical stuff."

Waerea-Hargreaves moved to Australia on a golf scholarship (he has a handicap of two) in Queensland but then took up rugby union and was last year signed by the Waratahs for this season.

Wests Tigers, South Sydney, Cronulla and Gold Coast had been monitoring him, while a senior New Zealand rugby official had flown to Sydney to watch him play. But after yesterday discussing his future via satellite phone with his father, who is in Iraq serving as a contracted engineer with the US military, Waerea-Hargreaves opted for Manly.

Waerea-Hargreaves had a brief stint in league before he moved to Australia and is good friends with young Broncos sensation Dave Taylor. He met Hasler about three weeks ago and watched Manly play Souths at Telstra Stadium on Monday night.

Sea Eagles chief executive Grant Mayer said he was "excited" about the signing.

Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said while it was "very disappointing" to lose Waerea-Hargreaves, the NRL deal by no means signalled that he was lost to union. "Manly made a substantial offer for a guy his age, way over what we could match. He has made a decision and I understand why - it's too good an offer for him to pass up," he said. "It is a two-year deal and we will obviously watch him with interest ... and we may try and bring him back."

The Waratahs' difficulty was that, while Waerea-Hargreaves shows tremendous potential, he is unproven in the representative arena, having played just two games for the Rays in the ARC.

"He is a young guy still growing," McKenzie said. "We still think there is improvement there. We have got to put it into perspective ... he is still a kid."

However, McKenzie has no doubt the "kid" can make a big impact in league. "He has definitely got the attributes to succeed in league. He is a very aggressive player and will certainly be useful [for Manly]," he said.

Rays coach John McKee said Waerea-Hargreaves's omission for the Gold Coast match

had nothing to do with his decision to switch codes. "It is a bit of a squad rotation," McKee said of the team selection. "

He has played nearly all of our first two games and we're giving an opportunity to some other guys."

Asked whether Waerea-Hargreaves might return to rugby union, Newton said: "He'll have both codes up his sleeve. He's still got to prove himself in the NRL. But 'BK' never went back."

_________________________________________

Fingers crossed !pray:
 
A two year deal on "overs" money !!! I hope we have an option to extend in his contract, I'd hate to see us invest time and money to get him to first grade standard and then have him poached just as he looks useful. Then again he could be the next Rennie
 
Let's hope the CC Rays are not letting Jye Mullane have anything to do with his "development".
 
He sounds like a money hungry 'young kid'. I just hope he's on a 'contract extension' as well. We'll develop him and then he opts for the next big money tree. Actually imo we need to search for a 'gun' 5/8 rather than sign another backrower, but then again, what would I know.
 
He sounds like a money hungry 'young kid'. I just hope he's on a 'contract extension' as well. We'll develop him and then he opts for the next big money tree. Actually imo we need to search for a 'gun' 5/8 rather than sign another backrower, but then again, what would I know.

That's a bit harsh, what would you do at age 18. He was obviously not offered a very appealing opportunity where he was in Rugby so he looked around elsewhere. Manly look to be heading in the right direction, were the best Sydney team all year, have a great training facility and coaching regime, and offered him a substantial contract for a bloke his age. It would be a pretty hard offer to refuse when all you want to do is concentrate on playing football at the highest level.
 
Union have already been quoted as saying they'll be looking to buy him back after manly has develped him so its not all that harsh a statement.
 
Union have already been quoted as saying they'll be looking to buy him back after manly has develped him so its not all that harsh a statement.

What does unions comments have to do with the player though? They are just bitter that they lost a talented young player. He has never said he will go back, he is just looking for his best opportunity, and Manly was obviously that option. NSW rugby offered him a spot in their academy on peanuts, while Manly offered him a spot in their under 20s side, on decent money, where he will be training with professional footballers and will have the chance to play his way into 1st grade. Hopefully he will realise his potential, break into 1st grade at Manly and stay. If not, too bad, it was worth a shot by Manly. These are the players we should be signing, young bloke with plenty of potential.
 
I watched him play yesterday, what a signing, he is HUGEEEE!! he does look like a mini sonny bill, he doesn't look right in union but I think he will be a sensation in league, he looks really athletic for his size, he was quick around the field when he came on, had a presence when he plays,

if u asked me, he looked like a kids that needs room ala league, he just looks a superstar, say no more, prob why we paid big dough, at 18, along way to go


i'm excited about the calibre of kids we are getting, tuimona from nz is a great signing, edwards from keebra was form front rower in aust school boys, williams from parra has loads of talent, well done crusher
 
Yeah I had a watch of this game as well. He didn't get much gametime...came on with10-15 to go but he looked good.

Good workrate around the field, has good hands (had some nice offloads) and seemed pretty solid all round.

Hard to really gauge how well he was going but it looked exciting. Everytime the Rays got the ball I was hoping Jared would be hanging out at first receiver just to see how he would go taking a hit-up etc.
 
I saw him play in a club game on the ABC months back and thought this kid has to be signed up by the ARU. He was verty agressive and did not take a backward step against the older players. In saying this I am not getting my hopes up as so many dont make it.
 
He looked quite impressive when he came on to the field on saturday and certainly has a presence about him.

Manly has a good track record of improving players performances and this guy has the size and ability to be anything.
 
Only played for 10 minutes in today's final. Thought the same thing as tookey - has size and ability and certainly talked it up when he got on.

Bit of a worry that he's on the reserve bench behind a backrow of plodders. I wonder if this is about ability or malice that he's leaving rugby?

My impression is that he will need the majority of a season in PL next year. doesn't look like he'll do an SBW to me.
 
I thought he gave it a go today. Showed aggression and got stuck on. His mouth didn't stop and he was driving on the older and more experienced players. There was little structure when he got on the field and his team had tackled themselves to a standstill. He is very very young and raw and will need to be brought on slowly. I don't doubt he has the goods but it remains to be seen if he has the attitude, drive, and will to succeed. Time will tell.
 

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