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Tuqiri rejects rugby's offer
By Peter Badel
December 24, 2006
AUSTRALIA star Lote Tuqiri has rocked the Australian Rugby Union by rejecting a lucrative contract worth $4 million.
In a crushing blow to the ARU's hopes of staving off the advances of NRL clubs, Tuqiri informed rugby union officials last night that he would not be signing the preliminary offer tabled last Thursday week.
The revelation provides the first concrete sign that Tuqiri is seriously considering a return to the NRL, where six clubs - Melbourne, the Sharks, Sydney Roosters, Brisbane, South Sydney and Gold Coast - are waiting to pounce.
The dual international met Sharks coach Ricky Stuart at a Cronulla restaurant on Thursday.
The following day, Tuqiri held talks with the Roosters, who have emerged as a major player in the fight to snare the former Broncos wing.
South Sydney co-owner Peter Holmes a Court had dinner with Tuqiri last Monday.
The ARU's offer of $1m a season would make him the second-highest earner in the code, behind Western Force's $1.5m man Matt Giteau, but Tuqiri insists money is not the overriding issue.
Tuqiri and his business mentor, Les Ross, are understood to have concerns over how the ARU views the wing's promotional value to its business.
"I've declined their offer," Tuqiri confirmed last night.
"At this stage there are some key components that we spoke about but haven't appeared in the contract.
"At the moment, the deal from the ARU isn't satisfactory, but you don't always knock over a deal at the first go. This is thebiggest contract of my career and I want to get itright."
Tuqiri, 27, has not ruled out staying in rugby, but the ARU appears to be fighting a losing battle to keep the man touted as a critical part of the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup plans going through to 2011.
Tuqiri said he was excited by the prospect of playing under Kangaroos coach Stuart at the Sharks.
"We had a good meeting," Tuqiri said.
"Ricky spoke about his plans for the club and he's certainly an attraction.
"I always said I'd leave no stone unturned in reaching my decision and meeting the Sharks was the first step."
Tuqiri, who plans to meet Melbourne and rugby's Queensland Reds this week, said he was keen to play centre if he returned to league.
"I wouldn't mind a crack there," he said.
"You get a lot more one-on-one contests in the centres, and I think that could suit me."
ARU high-performance manager Pat Wilson said: "We're still in discussions. Lote has made some public comments, but we're having continuing dialogue."