Brumbies' Manuka move kiboshed, forgotten coach put on Wallabies radar

The most-capped player in ACT Brumbies history has thrown a late curveball to solve the Wallabies coaching debacle, anointing a close mate of Eddie Jones as the next in line for the top job.

The Jones saga is almost over after Japan announced him as their new coach despite his constant denials about having done a pre-World Cup interview for the position.

Jones was scheduled to front a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday night, with some Australian media making a mad dash to Japan in the hope of fireworks.

If former Test and Brumbies prop Ben Alexander gets his way, the fireworks might be closer home if his tip for the next Wallabies coach gets the green light.

Alexander says Jake White - the World Cup-winning Springboks coach who revamped the Brumbies - is the man to replace Jones.

"Jake White should be the next Wallabies coach because he's: won a World Cup; beat the [British and Irish] Lions (first Aussie provincial team to do it in 40 years); took the Brumbies from second last to second in two years," Alexander said.

"Not sure there's another coach available with a resume like that ... my favourite seasons of my career [were] the 2012-13 Brumbies ones."

White was in the running for the Wallabies job at the end of 2013 after leading the Brumbies to the grand final, but Rugby Australia opted for Ewen McKenzie.

Would appointing White avoid the Jones circus? Well, it might actually be a repeat. Before White had coached a game for the Brumbies, he was linked to a job in England.

When he missed out on the Wallabies job, he quit his Brumbies role in the off-season and didn't return to Canberra.

The Brumbies have kiboshed plans to move a home game to Manuka Oval as a heritage round, citing difficulties between switching between rugby, AFL and cricket as one of the main reasons.

The club had planned to play its first home game against the Western Force at the oval venue to breakup the games at Canberra Stadium and offer a novelty option like games during the Kookaburras era and some early Brumbies fixtures in the 1990s.

It's understood the costs of moving the game were considered high and the logistical challenges put the final nail in the coffin.

The AFL and the GWS Giants have first rights of refusal for the venue during the football months. The Giants are playing a pre-season game at Manuka on February 29. The Brumbies had hoped to play against the Force at Manuka on March 9.

"We're certainly still exploring opportunities going forward at Manuka Oval, with a keen focus to really put on a show," general manager Gavin Hunt said.

"We're always looking for ways to keep things fresh for our fanbase, and that involves looking into new opportunities and experiences to take our gameday and fan engagement to a whole new level." The match will be played on the same day and same time - 2.35pm - but will now be at Canberra Stadium.

Still on the Brumbies - they are locked in negotiations with Rugby Australia about the centralisation plan, but we're told conversations haven't exactly been moving at a rapid speed since the departure of Hamish McLennan.

It was hoped McLennan's exit would help expedite the process after his presence became a key sticking point and the Brumbies joined several other voting members in trying to oust him.

But Phil Waugh hasn't been able to get things humming. While amicable, Waugh has told the Brumbies there will be no more funding coming for the 2024 season.

The Brumbies have called in extra sponsor support from some key backers to shore up their finances in the short-term. But the annual $1.7 million hole in their Rugby Australia funding will still cause issues.

The Melbourne Rebels are reportedly struggling financially after failing to pay a tax bill. There's still some turbulent waters ahead for rugby.

Canberra teen Charlie Camus is tipped to be one of Australian tennis' next big things. He won the junior athlete of the year this week, but he wasn't at the Newcombe Medal in Melbourne.

It has since emerged he has left the Tennis Australia Academy in Brisbane and he's now based in Paris. His dad, OIivier, played field hockey for the French national team. Tennis Australia is hoping Camus pledges himself to Australia after including him as part of Lleyton Hewitt's Davis Cup set up in recent years.

There's a storm brewing about the future of the AIS Arena and the floating basketball-netball court which was damaged in storage over the past three-and-a-half years.

It is still hoped the arena will reopen by the middle of next year and become available for use after it was closed in 2020 because of safety concerns about the lights, fire warning system and seating.

The federal government committed $15 million to the repairs needed to get it operational for sport, concerts, functions and events.

The problem with the sports element is the court warped while in storage. The Australian Sports Commission say the cost of replacing it isn't included in the already allocated funding, and the ACT government doesn't want to pay for a court given it doesn't own the venue.

We're told ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is monitoring the situation and federal Finance Minister Katy Gallagher might need to get involved. Barr signed a deal with commission boss Kieren Perkins earlier this year to work together, but the first hurdle has been a struggle so far.

It is expected a new court would cost anywhere between $100,000 to $300,000.

Perkins gave NBL officials a tour of the arena last week, and we hear the Illawarra Hawks were in town this week to check it out.

The Hawks have previously played regular-season games in Canberra and it's understood they're keen to strike a similar deal with the government again if the arena reopens and if the venue is NBL-compliant.

The federal government is yet to say when it will reveal the findings of a report into the future of the AIS, and a potential $1 billion relocation to Queensland.

There was speculation it would drop this week, but Infrastructure Minister Catherine King's office poured cold water on that on Thursday and declined to give a timeline for when it would be published.

Cricket ACT boss Olivia Thornton was a surprise inclusion to the University of Canberra's fact-finding mission in India this week.

The university is keen to open the floodgates for the lucrative international student market, and cricket may be a key vehicle to get students to the capital.

Thornton is leading the ACT charge to be added to the Sheffield Shield and Big Bash competitions, while funding for an upgrade to the eastern side of Manuka Oval is also on the cards.

The university and Cricket ACT are working together on some attractive options for potential cricket stars, but nothing has been made official yet.

And just on Manuka - while all the talk has been about the future of Canberra Stadium, it's believed the Manuka upgrade is being pushed in some circles. The government had committed to funding new toilet blocks, but that is now on hold while officials wait to hear if a new eastern grandstand will be built.

You're probably sick of reading about the drawn-out A-League Men's timeline and the prospects of getting a team in Canberra. The Australian Professional Leagues had set "early- to mid-December" as the latest deadline for finalising details of a new Canberra licence.

Conversations with investors were positive in recent weeks, and the APL requested written confirmation of the ACT government's funding intentions.

It seems, though, all is quiet on the soccer front. At least for now. There's still hope an early Christmas present will be delivered to the city's soccer community.

The Australian Boomers have been nervously keeping an eye on Patty Mills developments in the NBA. The Boomers' most valuable weapon, and one of the most prolific scorers in Olympic Games history, has been struggling to get court time for the past year.

There was good news during the week though. He played 17 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers, hitting one of three three-point attempts. It was the second time in 15 games he'd been on the floor for the Atlanta Hawks this season.