Brumbies captain Stirling Mortlock insists his stellar recent form has nothing to do with the prospect of NRL star Mark Gasnier switching to rugby union.
Gasnier is being wooed by the Australian Rugby Union, and reports vary as to whether he wants to remain in rugby league with St George Illawarra Dragons or follow the likes of Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri in a bid to play for the Wallabies.
But while Gasnier could provide competition for a midfield berth for Australia under their new coach John Connolly, Mortlock is firmly focused on the Brumbies’ Super 14 campaign.
"I don’t have too much of a say on what happens, but getting a guy of his (Gasnier’s) calibre would be significant," said Mortlock after his superb weekend performance against the Chiefs, which included a late conversion from the sideline to seal a 28-26 win.
"Whether he is seriously interested or not will be determined later on. It doesn’t really affect what I’m doing from week to week."
Having watched team-mate George Smith commit his future to the ARU last week, Mortlock is now looking to make the most of his team’s bye in the Super 14 this week to do likewise.
Indeed, such a move would head off talk of a switch to the Reds.
"My contract situation is ongoing," the centre added in The Australian. "Over the next week, we’ll continue talks with the ARU and look to make a decision in the not-too-distant future."
