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by: Jamie Pandaram From: The Daily Telegraph January 23, 2012 9:00pm
Missed opportunity: The Force missed out on signing former NRL player Craig Wing.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
THE Western Force's search for a star five-eighth suffered another setback after missing out on former NRL star Craig Wing.
The Force approached Wing hoping he could have a Perth stint in between his commitments with Japanese club side NTT Communications, but were foiled by the airtight conditions placed on his contract.
Wing is playing in Japan as an Asian-qualified player through his Filipino mother, allowing his club to bypass the limit of three foreign players on the field at any time. Under the terms of his contract, if Wing plays in any other country he would automatically lose his Asian eligibility status and jeopardise his lucrative deal.
The Daily Telegraph understands Wing's contract with NTT Communications is worth more than $700,000 per season.
The Force have been on the lookout for a new playmaker since the sudden resignation of Willie Ripia on January 10 after he allegedly stole money from teammates to feed his gambling addiction.
"We inquired about Craig but the stipulation of his contract won't allow him to play anywhere else," Force coach Richard Graham said. "I am exploring all avenues, and Craig is a very good quality footballer."
Graham will use halfback-turned-playmaker James Stannard as his starting No. 10 for the opening rounds of the competition.
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