Transcript
GARETH BABER: Obviously they were provided these contracts - yes, ok, there was a delay in that but they won't be left without money. They'll be paid up from obviously the start of that contract, which was effectively the end of the previous contract that was given to them for last season. These boys they get on with their job. They have got the contracts, they know they're going to get them - it's a matter of the details and that sometimes sits within any player's season that they are dealing with contracts, either for the next season or present season, and we move forward. I'm confident we will get that sorted and the players will be in a better situation.
VINNIE WYLIE: They are obviously one year contracts - when is that term? Does the term end at the end of the previous season or does it run a bit after that?
GB: It runs a bit after this season effectively, so obviously this year from January through to September/October of this year.
VW: Your coaching contract is up until the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, whereas these players are getting a one year contract. Is that anything you have a say in? Do you think there might ever be merit in some players having a longer contract if possible?
GB: I think so. That's obviously what the FRU want to get to as well in terms of the length of contract, especially when it coincides with the cycle of one of the tournaments we play in but also the likes of the Olympics as well, where you can ensure you've got those players for a longer period of time. As you said, they've only ever had yearly contracts in Fiji and it's certainly something I would welcome coming in the future in terms of getting consistency of a group of players that you know you can push forward with.
VW: How much of a say do you get in terms of who gets those contracts?
GB: There is communications with the FRU but essentially I'm saying what players I want contracted at that time.
VW: Is there any pushback from the FRU?
GB: The only push-back would be, like any contract, if there was outstanding issues with a player or there was disciplinary issues with a player then that's the only pushback you would generally get but that would be the same all around the world - you wouldn't have an organisation that sign off on a player if there's outstanding issues in terms of discipline and/or good behaviour.
VW: So how many contracts can the FRU have in a season?
GB: Probably around what is practical for a sevens environment to work with you're probably looking around 18 to 22 contracts. Anything more than that then you're paying players who aren't having access to the players and aren't having access to resources. For me it's around that 18 to 22 mark - you have a core element of 15/16 and then you've got another six or seven in the extended squad - and then you might have more beyond that who are brought into training for specific purposes but that's what we're working to, certainly what the FRU are comfortable working to.
VW: Of the players you're working with at the moment how many of them had contracts last season and how many of them are completely new to the situation?
GB: I suppose out of 18 there would have been seven or eight who had contracts last year. The rest of them it's all brand new to them.
VW: Do you think it's disrupted your preparations with the team for these two legs?
GB: Yeah I think it disrupted (the players) - it gets them perhaps thinking about other things that they don't potentially need to think about but they all know now that they've got contracts. Up until this point some of them wouldn't have even known that they had contracts so that's a big tick for them that they know they're going to be a part of the group, the squad moving forward for this season. I think beyond that it's just getting the details sorted and being as comfortable as possible so we can carry on with our preparation.
