Lote Tuqiri weighs up France and Sydney
FORMER Australia winger Lote Tuqiri is still in negotiations with French club Bayonne amid claims about the "truth" behind his sacking by the ARU.
Tuqiri flew to France two weeks ago for talks with Bayonne and Stade Francais.
It is understood Stade Francais, coached by Ewen McKenzie, cannot afford Tuqiri, while Bayonne is haggling with him over the size of the offer.
Tuqiri has shown in the past that he is a very good negotiator.
When Tuqiri re-signed with the ARU and NSW Waratahs in 2007, rugby officials waived their rules on third-party endorsements to ensure sufficient sponsorship money was raised to prevent him signing with NRL team South Sydney.
There is speculation in France that Bayonne, which has rugby league convert Craig Gower on its player list, has offered Tuqiri 500,000 euros a year ($862,000).
Sources close to Tuqiri say his preference is to stay in Sydney and it would take a huge deal to lure him overseas.
Tuqiri, a former Brisbane Broncos winger, has consistently stated that he has not ruled out a return to rugby league.
While no NRL club could match Bayonne's offer, Tuqiri may be weighing up the cost of relocating his family to France and his wife giving up her career as a child psychologist.
Sydney Roosters have expressed interest in Tuqiri if he decides to stay in Australia. Chairman Nick Politis had coffee with him before his trip to France.
Tuqiri has also had informal talks with Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens.
NRL chief executive David Gallop has said Tuqiri must reveal the reason why the ARU tore up his $5m contract before he would consider allowing him to play in the NRL again.
Tuqiri initially said he was prepared to tell Gallop the reason for his sacking, but later claimed he could not do so because he had signed a confidentiality agreement with the ARU.
Sydney's Sunday Telegraph newspaper yesterday revealed the "truth" behind Tuqiri's sacking.
The front page story alleged that Tuqiri broke team protocols by taking a woman to his hotel room in Canberra after meeting her in a nightclub in the lead-up to a Test against Italy in June.
The woman was described as a 20-year-old university student.
The article claimed ARU chief executive John O'Neill, despite being accused of a cover-up, chose not to go public about the details of the incident because he was concerned the woman would be identified an embarrassed.
The NRL refused to buy into the Tuqiri story last night, claiming it would only be a matter for it if a club was genuinely interested in signing him.
"We've got no interest in the matter unless a club seeks to sign him and then it would simply be normal business practice to ask an employee why he was sacked from his previous job," Gallop said.
After his sacking Tuqiri launched legal action against the ARU for wrongful dismissal.
The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount and both parties asked for the details not to be made public.
Tuqiri's sacking followed several breaches of discipline.
In 2005 Tuqiri and fellow rugby league convert Wendell Sailor were fined and received a two-match suspended sentence for being out late in a Cape Town nightclub.
Tuqiri was also involved in an incident with former Wallaby halfback Matt Henjak.
In 2007 Tuqiri turned up late to a Wallabies training session and was over the limit when tested on a breathalyser. He was fined and received a two-game suspension.
Tuqiri was given a final warning by the ARU in 2007 after being fined for socialising in the Wallabies hotel in Brisbane with people who were later questioned about a series attack on a taxi driver.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
