Former Wallabies turn on Rogers over club rugby

1.00pm

SYDNEY - Former Wallabies stars have rounded on Australia's World Cup fullback Mat Rogers following his outspoken criticism of Australian club rugby.

In the latest chapter of a long-running saga, 1991 World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, former prop Tony Daly and fullback Greg Martin criticised Rogers, with Daly branding him disrespectful and daring him to return to rugby league.

The three-pronged attack came after Rogers made negative comments on the state of club rugby and disparaging remarks about Wallabies legend David Campese, who was the first to take issue with the former Australian and Queensland league representative's views.

Rogers used his newspaper column in The Sun-Herald to label club rugby "a waste of time" three weeks ago, adding he got more out of a Wallabies training session than a match for Sydney side Randwick.

Last week he penned a second article addressed directly to Campese entitled "Sorry Campo, club rugby is a joke", adding the current Wallabies had no respect for the former wing.

The New South Wales Rugby Union have called Rogers to a disciplinary hearing over his views and Australia's old guard offered no sympathy.

"A guy such as Mat Rogers has only been in the game for five minutes," said Daly, the 1991 World Cup-winning prop.

"For him to say everyone hates David Campese ... I mean, Campo is the greatest rugby player on the planet for his time. He won us the World Cup.

"Mat has to be very careful because he is developing a battleship mouth and a rowboat brain. To say he was speaking on behalf of other Wallabies about Campo isn't right. Mat just has to keep his mouth shut .... or go back to rugby league."

Martin was equally unhappy about Rogers' criticism of Campese and club rugby.

"Mat Rogers is a guy that has come into the game straight from the NRL, from Queensland and the Kangaroos, and he obviously doesn't have an understanding of the ethos of the game," he said.

"He doesn't understand club rugby is the fabric of the game. For him to criticise Campo, I mean, come on Mat.

"Is it because Campo has an opinion and sometimes he is unkind to the current Wallaby players? If it is, that to me seems very insular."

Farr-Jones told The Sunday Telegraph he found Rogers' criticism of Campese and club rugby disappointing.

"No matter what you think of the opinions of David Campese, he has made an enormous contribution to Australian rugby," Farr-Jones said.

"I find it very disappointing Mat would criticise David in that manner and I've gone public many times with my view that without David Campese, we would not have won the 1991 World Cup.

"You don't want players to be muzzled and coming out with sanitised comments, but you also have to be respectful."

- NZPA