Sale seal McAlister deal
23 Jul 2007
All Blacks centre Luke McAlister has signed a two-year-contract with the Sale Sharks.
Speculation on the move has been rife in the last month, with McAlister remaining tight-lipped. But it was revealed today that the 23-year-old will move to the Premiership club after the World Cup.
“The signing of Luke McAlister is fantastic news for everyone connected to Sale Sharks,” Sale’s director of rugby Philipe Saint-Andre said.
“He is one of the best young players in world rugby and can play [at] either 10, 12 or 13.”
The 18-cap All Black spent 10 years of his childhood in Manchester which he said was part of the appeal of the move.
“You get one shot at it and I want to make the most of my career,” he said. “I want to go overseas and experience different lifestyles. I have been to Manchester before and I like it there.”
McAlister also received a number of lucrative offers from other Premiership and French clubs. He joins fellow All Blacks Carl Hayman, Byron Kelleher, Aaron Mauger, Chris Jack and Rico Gear at northern hemisphere clubs after the World Cup.
19 Comments
23 Jul 2007, 17:07 pm
Wow – what a signing!
23 Jul 2007, 17:11 pm
Cool,looks like we will be watching S14 rite here in the muddy isles,or is that the flooded isles!
23 Jul 2007, 17:12 pm
Who’s gonna be the All Blacks inside center next season? haha
23 Jul 2007, 17:20 pm
So ThunderThighs is not into the 2011 thing as the 12 Black should be his for the next 8 years. Do the NZers here know how much McCaw and Carter’s buy out clauses are?
23 Jul 2007, 17:44 pm
Bishops,
Their buy-out clauses are simple…
Lose the World Cup and you are gone.
23 Jul 2007, 19:49 pm
Fair enough, PA! Whoever wants those 2 will have to wave goodbye to a lot of money! ‘flooded isles’ is the perfect pun for the whole rugby and British situation.
24 Jul 2007, 01:18 am
There is a decent school of thought down this way that, (with Carl Hayman definitely excepted) the transfer of mostly aging ABs(6-7year ABs) to European clubs raises the quality of play in both areas!
Its an opportunity for the developing players to come through – as it is in SA.
Luke McAlister is run by his apparently unreliable and averous father and was always going once they had established the going rate.
European clubs do not have a history in developing their younger players – otherwise they wouldn’t need SA, NZ and Aust ones.
Its doubtful McAlister will play again for the ABs – he will spend his next formative years playing an archaic brand of rugby at Sale and his undoubted skills will wither and remain stagnant.
So be it!!
He’s being paid well for it.
24 Jul 2007, 02:17 am
The word on the ground is that Luke McAlister’s father is going to be hired as the head coach at Sale. It’ll be a father-and-son combo.
24 Jul 2007, 02:38 am
Luke has stated he will be back, and back in time for the 2011 WC, but by that time the AB who have several classy 12 & 13 in wings would have a claim to his jersey
24 Jul 2007, 03:44 am
ice will be the next AB 12
24 Jul 2007, 04:52 am
What about Nick Evans for the N0 12 jersey? – unless his old man sees the amin chance as well
24 Jul 2007, 10:52 am
Maybe Evans will play 10 and Carter will play 12?
24 Jul 2007, 10:56 am
#12 yeah that is possible but NOT under Henry.
He has already stated that this was not an option
a while back.
Mauger and McAlistair gone, the 12 position is wide open. Stephen Brett and Lachlan Munroe
are frontrunners in my book come 2008.
24 Jul 2007, 11:16 am
I dont care what media spin or divergence of attention is employed by Nz from this issue,THIS IS A CONCERN to NZ.
Luke McAllister is a superstar in the making,has all the attributes to be an all time great.So this is a HUGE suprise to say the least that a 23 YR OLD HAS FORSAKEN the ALL so IMPORTANT and dare I say SACRED All black jersey for the British Isles…
That is now Mauger(26),Tuitupou(25),McAllister(23),Hayman(27-prime of his career),Jack(28-prime of his career)…If this is not a concern,i dont know what is.Rua Tipoki has also gone overseas
And the next in line are not nearly as impressive even talent-wise they pale in comparison.EX: inside centres:Tane Tuitulopu,Chris Bateman,Stephen Brett,Ma’a Nonu(inconsistent),Tasesa Lavea)
At prop Nz there is a dearth in talent especially tighthead.Besides Tialata(who is coming along nicely)there is no one.Sommerville is on his last legs,the achilles tendon injury has been troubling him for 2yrs or so.Then comes the upstarts in Afoa,Taumoapieau,Schwalger,Perenise-who are barely S14 class.They would get crushed at test level.
At lock in Jason Eaton and James Ryan they have 2 capable athletes but lack the mongrel for a world class lock.Tim Donnely,Ross Kennedy are nowhere.I like the look of Kieran Read though but he has been touted more as a blindside than a lock.So lock also has a question mark over it.
At hooker the loss of Oliver is also big but Mealamu will plug that,but who else??Hore has never cut the grade(rate him though),Whitcombe is nowhere,i wonder will they finally give Corey Flynn a run-He is the real deal i believe(better than Jeremy Paul in his prime).
24 Jul 2007, 11:24 am
mshiniwami,
Hayman and Woodcock weren’t that impressive when they first started out. Props are like a fine wine, they take years to mature.
NZ, like South Africa, have the depth of talent to keep on churning out good players.
Personally, I think McAllister has done the right thing financially, but has made the wrong call professionally.
Rugby is a cruel game and a player can be seriously injured tomorrow. It makes sense that he sets himself up for a life after rugby.
Professionally, he will be playing in the NH, which isn’t noted for its high skill level when compared to the SH. His development may well stagnate and the undoubted potential he has may never be fully realised, whereas in the AB environment and playing in the SH competitions, the onus on him to develop his skills would have been higher.
He’s made his choice now. Good luck to him. But there will be another player who will fill the gap he has left behind pretty soon.
24 Jul 2007, 12:04 pm
As mentioned above, top inside centres gone overseas for a couple of years and will return to NZ at least a year or two before RWC2011. AB 12 for 2008?! You couls have Evans at 10 and Carter back at 12, or Carter at 10 and Stephen Brett in at 12. Also Toeava (not really), then you have a choice of playing Carter or even evans in at 12 and so on. Richard Kahui can slide in from 13 to 12.
24 Jul 2007, 12:14 pm
CSI,
Young Bateman at the Crusaders looks promising. He’ll be playing outside Carter for the Crusaders now that Mauger has gone.
To be honest, you guys have got sufficient options at 12 to keep you going. B*stards
25 Jul 2007, 23:20 pm
mishiniwami,
Ok lets be blunt, the only thing dear to Luke McAlister and his father’s heart was an All Black jersey because provided application is made in UK within 18 months of last playing international rugby then he has an entitlement to work permit and playing concessions.
Good luck to both of them but lets not lose any sleep over McAlister.
Evans will follow the same route mapped by his father. Once the standover tactics on the NZRU fail they are gone.
So what.
Only the loss of Hayman is of concern
The rest are of little significance and many would not be front line picks next year even for their S14 teams.
Bon voyage.
We look forward to seeing the youngsters come through.
4 Aug 2007, 15:00 pm
i’ve got misgivings about this move. undoubtedly his skills will not improve in the NH-they play too much over there and that’s not good.
the future AB no 12 is tim bateman, the 19 y.o. at the Crusaders. mark these words.
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