Waratahs fight to keep Benn Robinson - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Waratahs fight to keep Benn Robinson

03/06/2010 02:32:16 PM Comments (0)

Wallabies powerhouse Benn Robinson has ended his long-running contract saga by recommitting to the NSW Waratahs on a new three-year deal.

The world class prop has shunned a lucrative offer from the Melbourne Rebels to continue his career in Sydney until the end of 2013.

Robinson had originally indicated he would remain at the Waratahs early in the Super 14 but the Rebels weighed in with an increased offer after he failed to sign a new deal immediately.

Highlighting his immense value as Australia's premier front-rower, NSW sorely missed his scrummaging and work-rate around the field when he succumbed to a broken arm in the penultimate round.

One of the last Wallabies cut from Australia's 30-man squad for the 2007 World Cup, Robinson felt he had unfinished business at both provincial and a national level.

"Whenever your contract is up you have a bit of a look at what is out there and obviously 2011 is a pretty big season, but at the end of the day in terms of footy there's no where I'd rather be than at NSW," he said on Thursday.

"It was really tough ... reinjuring the arm against the Chiefs because I knew we were a genuine chance of winning the title.

"This Waratahs team has a really strong culture and I think in 2010 we started to show a lot of belief in our game.

"That's only going to improve next year with most of the squad staying on and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it."

Robinson is not due to return to action until the Tri-Nations next month but isn't expecting to waltz straight back into the Wallabies starting team.

Regular tighthead Ben Alexander will wear Robinson's No.1 jersey against Fiji in Canberra on Saturday night, while young Queenslander Ben Daley is also expected to get time at loosehead in the coming weeks once he recovers from a tricep injury.

"I know now that when I come back there's going to be guys in the Wallabies squad keen to keep me out and I'll have to win back my place there," he said.

Robinson made his NSW debut on the 2004 development tour of Argentina and went on to play his first Super 14 match against the Reds in 2006, the year he debuted for Australia.

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