Tuqiri Sacked!

[Stone Cold]

it will be interesting when the facts come out...all this speculation is annoying

but while we are at it...it has to be another boozy bender...

[travelling_gerry]

Greg Growden | July 2, 2009 - 11:23AM

The Australian Rugby Union this morning continued to put the shutters up over the termination of Lote Tuqiri's contract, saying the threat of legal action prohibits them from providing any more details.

In a tense media conference, ARU chief executive John O'Neill repeatedly deflected questions about why Tuqiri's employment was ended, explaining he had read in the morning newspapers that the former Wallaby winger had appointed a legal team and action in the courts was pending.

O'Neill denied he had a personal vendetta against Tuqiri, describing such a suggestion as "ridiculous" and said the winger's salary of $1 million a year was not a consideration. He said Tuqiri knew the reasons and it was up to him if he wanted to discuss them publicly before any legal issues were resolved.

"Cleary the decision to terminate a contract is one that requires a lot of consideration. We gave that consideration and reached the conclusion with our eyes wide open," O'Neill said.

O'Neill confirmed the police were not involved and said he consulted with Tuqiri's Super 14 club - the NSW Waratahs - and they agreed with the decision.

The Tuqiri issue took the gloss off the unexpected selection of Queensland scrum-half Will Genia in the Wallabies squad for the Bledisloe Cup game against New Zealand in Auckland on July 18.

He replaces Josh Valentine, who was slapped with a fine by the ARU for a food fight in a Canberra hotel a fortnight ago, which also involved rookies Quade Cooper and James O'Connor.

However, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans stressed that issue did not play any part in Valentine being replaced by Genia.

Tuqiri found himself labelled "Last Chance Lote" in 2007, shortly after O'Neill took over from Gary Flowers as the ARU's chief executive officer, with the emphasis that another alcohol-related indiscretion could cost him his $5 million contract.

Earlier that year, Flowers signed Tuqiri to a five-year deal, worth $1 million a season, until 2012.

However, O'Neill, on his return to the ARU, appeared un-impressed with some of Tuqiri's indiscretions, the most notable being in 2005 when he and Wendell Sailor were fined and received two-match suspended sentences for being out late in a Cape Town nightclub.

Two years later, Tuqiri failed to attend a 10am Wallabies team medical, followed by a midnight curfew being imposed on him and Matt Dunning following an incident at their Brisbane team hotel. The players and several other people gathered in Dunning's hotel room until about 5.30am. A taxi driver was allegedly assaulted outside the hotel by a man who had been in the players' company.

After that, Tuqiri was made aware that any breach - no matter how minor - would put his contract in jeopardy. At the time, O'Neill told the Herald Tuqiri was on his last chance and would have his ARU contract torn up if he was involved in any more transgressions.

"It was unacceptable behaviour and they have been left in no doubt what the ramifications are if there is another offence."

Even on the field, it appeared Tuqiri's representative days were numbered. After an average season with the Waratahs, where he received few opportunities from a stuttering NSW back line, Tuqiri was overlooked for the first four matches by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

Although selected in the Wallabies squad, he could not make the 22-man line-up four weeks in a row. Tuqiri soon found himself relegated to fourth or fifth on the wing pecking order.

This confined Tuqiri to the Sydney club ranks, making him the most expensive and under-utilised player.

- with AAP

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...127616051.html

[travelling_gerry]

July 02, 2009 .Lote Tuqiri has sent his close friend and former teammate Wendell Sailor a text message for advice following the shock termination of his lucrative Australian Rugby Union (ARU) contract.

Tuqiri will launch immediate legal action against the ARU, retaining solicitor Mr Mark O'Brien and Mr Tony Marr, senior counsel, to commence proceedings.

Speaking to ABC radio, Sailor, who was also dumped by the ARU in 2006, said he had received several phone calls from concerned mates and even a text from Tuqiri himself.

"I've tried to contact him as a mate ... (I received a) text message last night saying he would give me a call tomorrow (Thursday) to have a chat," Sailor said.

"I've been in contact with him over the last month because I know with someone like Lote, of his standard and ability, not to be playing at the highest level would frustrate him."

Sailor said he was "shellshocked" at the decision, as Tuqiri had been one of the crowd favourites for the NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies.

"I suppose when you see a player wanting to take legal action against an employer, it's pretty serious," he said.

"Obviously they couldn't sort things out.

"I'm just dumbfounded because he's been a wonderful ambassador for rugby league and rugby union."

Sailor had his lucrative contract ripped up by the ARU in 2006 and was suspended for two years after he was found guilty of taking cocaine.

In a further twist to the saga, it was a boozy night with Sailor in Cape Town in 2005 before an early-morning drinking session with prop Matt Dunning in 2007 that attracted Tuqiri a stern warning from ARU boss John O'Neill, consequently earning him the nickname "Last Chance Lote".

Sailor said it was hard to give advice to Tuqiri until he knew the full details of the matter.

"I know as much as you guys do," he said.

"I just think it's one of those things, it's pretty personal.

"I think mine was self-inflicted so I had to pay a price.

"All I'd say (to Tuqiri) is: 'You are 29, stay strong, you know who your family and friends are through a pretty tough time'."

Sailor said Tuqiri would still have plenty of options available to him.

"People have got to understand this ... Lote Tuqiri is 29, he's at the peak of his powers, he could go to Japan rugby, French rugby, go back to the NRL," he said.

"I tell you now, I would love to see Lote in a Dragons jersey."



AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

[Burgs]

Deans is planned to be on the Rugby Club tonight, wonder what his take will be on it all?
There is obviously something deeper to it than is public.
Publicly, it isn't his playing (Deans), it isn't the recent Casino incident or a vendetta (JO'N), the Tahs agreed, he is mid contract and it doesn't involve the police.
Hate to say it, but about the only thing left I can think of is a failed drug (performance) test???

[The EnForcer]

Deans is planned to be on the Rugby Club tonight, wonder what his take will be on it all?
There is obviously something deeper to it than is public.
Publicly, it isn't his playing (Deans), it isn't the recent Casino incident or a vendetta (JO'N), the Tahs agreed, he is mid contract and it doesn't involve the police.
Hate to say it, but about the only thing left I can think of is a failed drug (performance) test???

I think if it were a failed drug test then there would be no contest......following on from your logic Burgs, maybe not taking a drug test.......

[AndyS]

Same thing, would involve the ASADA, would have produced an immediate suspension and so would have come out at the time. I think it is probably is the casino thing, if he was out past curfew again or failed the morning alcohol test - he was the one on a last chance warning.

[robyn <3]

"I'm just dumbfounded because he's been a wonderful ambassador for rugby league and rugby union."

He's still using the crack, drug-check-ers. Wonderful?? Yeesh.

[blueandblack]

BIG NEWS< PENRITH SIGNING TUQIRI

lewls

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Seems to be a bit of mungo confusion on the site.

[mudskipper]

I think with all this ARU mumbo jumbo the ARU need to be careful about setting up a player Precedent... I can see the ARU paying a large sum to Lote... They may save a few coins but will go many miles for few gains.... get into them Lote for everything they're worth...

[Burgs]

The ARU isn't worth much at the moment so probably good timing.

[jargan83]

According to the article I just watched on Sky News, the ARU offered to pay out Tuqiri 6 months of his contract, Tuqiri said no and was sacked days later
Posted via Mobile Device

[shasta]

= the ARU offered to pay out Tuqiri 6 months of his contract,

You blokes are gonna end up with a big Melanesian try scoring machine on each wing, Jargs.

I thought the deadline had passed but I heard Gallop on the news today saying "special circumstances".

Good luck Lote.

[travelling_gerry]

By Jim Ticker

July 05, 2009 12:00am

A WALLABY roommate of Lote Tuqiri is believed to have been grilled over the possible breach of team rules that escalated into his contract being torn up and pending legal action.

Two of the Wallabies' private team rules, under coach Robbie Deans, are the alcohol breath-testing of randomly selected players the morning after Test matches and a tight code on just who is allowed to enter the hotel rooms of players in Test week.

The breach of team rules which led to the Australian Rugby Union activating Tuqiri's "last-chance" status into his sudden termination last Wednesday is believed to have occurred three weeks earlier before the first Test against Italy in Canberra.

When asked to confirm whether one of Tuqiri's teammates had been interviewed over the star winger's alleged breach of team protocols, the ARU made only the following comment.

Gallery: The life and crimes of Lote Tuqiri

"The ARU has maintained a consistent stance of no comment on Lote Tuqiri's termination," an ARU spokesman said yesterday. The ARU has previously put on record that police were not involved.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...006067,00.html

[travelling_gerry]

Greg Growden | July 6, 2009

MONDAY MAUL
A FEW days ago, a well known player explained what it was now like in Wallabyland.

"The money's good and we know the responsibilities that go with that. We know what we're walking into," the player told Monday Maul.

This player understands the system and knows if he performs to the required standards on the field and keeps his nose clean off the field, the rewards will come.

If you don't, beware. Player contracts are player contracts. And there is only so much you can get away with, especially with the Australian Rugby Union and the Wallabies' team management stipulating that exemplary behaviour is paramount. The players are not under any misapprehension about their responsibilities.

This must be remembered as the Lote Tuqiri saga continues to swirl with rumour and innuendo, which has even caused many innocent bystanders to be unfairly smeared in the process. The ARU states it is unable to disclose the reason for Tuqiri's termination, given his threat of legal action, except to say that if Tuqiri and his representatives wanted to explain why he was sacked they would not stand in their way. Tuqiri's team remain silent.

Nonetheless, Monday Maul understands there was an ARU investigation into a recent breach of player protocol following an incident at the team hotel. We understand it is not a trivial matter, and certainly more serious than a food fight in Canberra that recently resulted in three other Wallabies - James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and Josh Valentine - being fined by the ARU. With the real Tuqiri story known to only a handful, to the extent that even senior Wallabies players and several members of the team management are unaware of the full details, the situation has been clouded by intentional and unintentional dummy passes and decoy runners.

This includes the suggestion the saga revolves around a contractual dispute and how much it would cost the ARU to axe Tuqiri. It has turned into that but it was not the reason why Tuqiri was suddenly no longer a Wallaby. The ARU needed a valid and compelling reason to dismiss "Last Chance Lote", and we understand they believe that they have that.

Then there is the situation of Tuqiri supposedly receiving little notice that he was about to be terminated. The ARU announced his termination on Wednesday night. Tuqiri revealed in his newspaper column yesterday he had prior warning, being contacted two days earlier on Monday by the ARU for a meeting where "my world was turned upside down".

It was inevitable there would be a backlash. Tuqiri is a popular player and among the prime reasons why spectators attend Wallabies and Waratahs matches.

But it also cannot be ignored that Tuqiri had slid down the Wallabies' wing totem pole and only diehard Lote supporters would fervently believe he would have made the next World Cup tournament in 2011.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans had done all he could to resurrect Tuqiri's international career, but the fact remains that the 29-year-old had lost his pace, was no longer a try-scoring phenomenon, was often guilty of cross-field meanders and, for some time, faster and fitter wingers had been better value at Test level.

Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell, Peter Hynes and Adam Ashley-Cooper were all ahead of Tuqiri, as would be Digby Ioane if he wasn't injured. It's sad but true that Tuqiri, who in the past month was relegated to the Sydney club ranks, was at best No.5 or No.6 in the Wallabies' wing pecking order. That is a fact that cannot be denied.

As for the mischievous threat of a Wallabies player revolt in protest of Tuqiri's sacking, forget it. There's about as much chance of that happening as of Alan Jones, John Connolly or Eddie Jones becoming the next Wallabies coach.

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...e#contentSwap1