Interest in Tuqiri excites Souths
Interest in Tuqiri excites Souths
By Brent Read and Wayne Smith
March 03, 2007
SOUTH Sydney continues to make the running for Lote Tuqiri, with Rabbitohs co-owner Peter Holmes a Court revealing he has been contacted by a third prospective private sponsor willing to help fund a bid for the dual international.
News of the expanding interest in Tuqiri came as Australian Rugby Union officials foreshadowed increasing the length of their offer to the wing so as to avoid another highly public auction in the lead-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Holmes a Court said he received an email yesterday from a company inquiring about endorsing Tuqiri, taking the tally of interested parties to three and ensuring the Rabbitohs remain firm favourite to secure Tuqiri should he return to rugby league.
Souths have already had two companies contact the club regarding Tuqiri, who is off contract with the ARU after the Rugby World Cup in France in September, and who has expressed interest in returning to the NRL, where he made his name with Brisbane.
Holmes a Court has referred all parties to Tuqiri's business manager, Les Ross, who is conducting negotiations on the player's behalf.
Souths are putting together a long-term deal for Tuqiri, which it hopes will convince him to join the Rabbitohs rather than link with the Cronulla-based Sharks or re-sign with the ARU.
Holmes a Court also defended his club's role in linking Tuqiri with sponsors following comments from NRL chief executive David Gallop, who said he would scrutinise Souths' actions.
"We got calls from people who want to sponsor Lote," Holmes a Court said.
"I have had three calls now - two yesterday and one today.
"Let's make this perfectly clear. A number of people called us to try to get to Lote. It's a very easy thing for me to do to say, 'hey, talk to Lote's manager'.
"If sponsors are more excited because Lote might come back to rugby league in its 100th year, that's a bonus for Lote and a bonus for the game."
Reports have suggested that Tuqiri could be offered a five-year deal by Souths, which hopes to use outside sponsorship to make the deal more lucrative than that the ARU is expected to table in a revised bid.
It is understood that Tuqiri would take sponsors with him to league, but NRL clubs would still need to source third parties to match the offer from the ARU.
Tuqiri rejected a three-year, $2.4 million offer from the ARU before Christmas.
But the ARU is expected to make a longer-term deal that could secure the New South Wales wing until the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The ARU has no qualms offering Tuqiri an extended term given his injury-free history; he has enjoyed a saloon passage in terms of injuries in both codes.
"He is an elite athlete and his injury record is virtually blemish-free," ARU negotiator Pat Wilson said.
"So he's a sound investment leading to the next World Cup cycle."
While the ARU has carte blanche when it comes to deciding on the value of contracts offers, rugby league clubs are bound by NRL rules.
Gallop has stressed that those rules will not be bent for any player.
Holmes a Court was indignant at suggestions that his club could attempt to breach cap rules.
"I heard (Gallop) say there wouldn't be any special regulations for the Rabbitohs," Holmes a Court said.
"I understand that. I will always argue for special dispensation for the Rabbitohs, but I won't necessarily expect it."
Tuqiri given three days to sign
Sounds like we might be finally getting to the pointy end!
They don't say for which club though, just that the ARU will do the offering?
Tuqiri given three days to sign
By Phillip Heads and Peter Jenkins, The Sunday Telegraph
March 04, 2007
THE Australian Rugby Union will offer winger Lote Tuqiri a non-negotiable contract this week, with an ultimatum to sign within three days or have it withdrawn.
It is understood that the ARU is losing patience with being played off against NRL clubs for Tuqiri.
"He'll have in the order of three days to sign or the deal is off," a high-ranking ARU official told The Sunday Telegraph yesterday.
"The deal will not be negotiable and will be open for a very short time."
Tuqiri had a very public meeting with Souths owner Peter Holmes a Court recently and last week was spotted at Woolloomooloo wharf, dining with Queensland Reds coach Eddie Jones.
The ARU want to settle the Tuqiri contract issue and get the winger's mind back on rugby in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Tuqiri's frustrations boiled over after Friday night's draw against Western Force at Aussie Stadium when he ran 30m to shove Waratahs team-mate Sam Norton-Knight and verbally abuse him.
Australia legends slammed Tuqiri's actions.
Nick Farr-Jones and Simon Poidevin last night claimed they have never seen a top-level player react with such open aggression towards a team-mate.
Tuqiri raced across field to shove and blast Norton-Knight after the replacement full back took a quick tap from a last-minute penalty within kicking range. NSW coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday described the incident as "a dead issue" and said no internal action would be taken against Tuqiri.
But McKenzie agreed with several former Wallabies, who suggested the winger overstepped the mark.
"It was a dumb thing for Norton-Knight to do, and I can understand Lote's frustration, but you don't do that to your team-mates," Poidevin said.
"It was pretty ordinary. In all the time I've played the game, I don't recall seeing someone push a team-mate like that. Lote should be down on himself for doing it."
Farr-Jones agreed. "I left with 15 minutes to go but don't think I missed much apart from the push in the back," he said.
"I'm surprised Lote's frustration manifested the way it did. I can understand why he was feeling like he was. The way the guys played, it was just dreadful.
"But you don't take out frustration on your team-mates, especially in view of the public. I remember times when the forwards would get stuck into each other at training and that used to fill me with confidence for the weekend game.
"But on the field? Never.
"I heard one or two verbal sprays out there, but that's about the extent of it."
Farr-Jones and Poidevin suggested constant media attention on Tuqiri's form and future, with an endless round of contract negotiations might have contributed to his moment of madness.
"I would agree with that 100 per cent," Poidevin said.
"You'd have to be crazy to think his manager is doing the right thing the way things have been going on the last three weeks."
But former dual international Ray Price fully exonerated Tuqiri for his actions, branding Norton-Knight as the sole villain. (Birds of a feather...)
"I would have done exactly what Lote did," Price declared. "What was that guy thinking of taking the tap?
"If I was the coach, I'll tell you now, that bloke wouldn't be playing next week.
"At least they could have salvaged a win, one they probably didn't deserve, by taking a shot at penalty."
Price was another to spot frustration in Tuqiri.
"You could see it, and not just at the end of the game.
"Every time he tried to get into the game he was heavily marked or they couldn't get the ball to him quick enough.
"At Parramatta we used to have a bloke called Eric Grothe and we did our darndest to get the ball to him as often as we could."