Tuqiri rejects rugby's offer

[Burgs]

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."

[Shaun]

Let him go I say, overrated to the max! Insert DIGBY IOANE!

[The Lone Hydrangea]

If your heart isnt in it Lote, bugger off back to league. You have been one dimensional and pretty average for quite awhile. No shortage of wingers at the moment.

[Shaun]

Thank you TLH!!!!

[felixnelson]

geez guys i dunno
hes been our best back along with latham the last couple of years and he can really change a game by himself.
i think the aru knows what a big loss he would be

[O'Regan]

No i Do not want Ioane, I want Mitchell, or Stapleton, even though I no Stapleton won't get a run in the team.

[Burgs]

Stapleton still has to learn to play Rugby yet, he is very quick and good in open spaces but he has much to learn about the sport.
I think that Rathbone may be having mixed thoughts on the matter, without Tuqiri there is a stronger argument to keep a player of his battering ram style to be on one Wing with Gerrard/Mitchell/Shepherd et al to share the other one.
While Tuqiri remains there would be no room in "my" Wallabies for Rathbone.

[JediKnight]

Let him head back to League - he's over-rated, in my opinion. The ARU probably want to hang on to him partly to save losing face & also from the marketability of him.....certainly not for his playing ability. He can't pass, loses the ball in impact, can't kick and occasionally tackles!

[Rodent]

Completely over-rated.
He has a league mentality, he picks out a defensive player and tries to run over the top of him. Consequently he looks great when plays against the minnows of rugby because he is bigger than them and can run over the top of them. He is not a creative runner, doesn't have a great step and doesn't have the top end speed like the kiwi wingers of his size.
As mentioned above can't pass, can't kick and his defenseive amounts to charging out of the line to lay the huge hit. So many times he created massive gaps in the wallabies line because he thought he could lay a higlight reel hit.
If he's not happy with the offer cut him loose.
I have to disagree with you on including Rathbone though Burgs, he was attrocious last year. I'm surprised that Shepherd didn't get a mention as a replacement. The guy just keeps scoring tries when ever he is out there, I don't know what he has to do get some recognition.

[Happy]

Let him head back to League - he's over-rated, in my opinion. The ARU probably want to hang on to him partly to save losing face & also from the marketability of him.....certainly not for his playing ability. He can't pass, loses the ball in impact, can't kick and occasionally tackles!

bit harsh .. he's been flat of late but he doesn't fit ^^^ description!

[Burgs]

Was more saying that Rathbone may get a look now as he has a different style (ie meathead bash up) to the others such as Shepherd, Mitchell etc Rodent.
As I said, WITH Tuqiri there would be NO room in my Wallabies, ie I don't think he is good enough however, without Tuqiri he may come back into the picture for Knuckles.
I agree that Rathbone has had a shocker and really he must be in the last chance category leading into '07, a true under performer after such early promise. All he offers is a different style if that of Shepherd/Gerrard/Mitchell isn't working.
With Tuqiri, I was very dissapointed with his Campesesque statements during the Spring Tour, this kind of stuff can be very disruptive to esprite de corp and, apart from demonstrating the single minded selfish mindset of your average Wing, really came back to bite him when he continued to under perform when he did get the ball.
He is still banging on about "seeing more of the ball" in his latest interviews.
I would rate him as the best of that generation of mungo converts but we have position well covered post France with Union bred juniors if he doesn't resign.

[joblot]

Let him go I say, overrated to the max! Insert DIGBY IOANE!

I agree wholeheartedly. If the man does not have his heart and soul in a Wallaby jumper, he will only be a money man; nothing else.

[JJDynamite]

I say let him go.
Imagine what $4 million dollars could do for Rugby at the grass roots.

[Rodent]

Agreed Burgs, I don't know what happened to Rathbone. Maybe it was all the extra treatment at the hands of his ex-countrymen. But he wasn't the same player last year or even the year before that.
Having said that he did have a knee injury and even though he was obviously fit to play those things can take some time to come right. Hopefully he is back in full swing this year as he has genuine pace and power on the wing.
Maybe I was being a little harsh on Lote as he has had some cracking games. But for someone who gets talked up as much as he is (not least of all by himself) he hasn't produced enough on the big stage.

[Burgs]

Further developments c/o Fox.
Would appear that clearly it has become a decision between cash for Union or heart for League for Lote.
With that now being the obvious motivator then surely the ARU need to shut him out?
He can not get that type of money in League due to the salary caps so that then is the market place he has created.
Word is that the most he can hope for in League is around $600k so that is also what he should be offered in Union, you cannot buy loyalty, not even in the 21st century Pro era!
Full marks to the Reds for sticking with their youth policy (at least for 12 months!) and hopefully the Tahs may take some notice too.

Tuqiri's price is red-hot

By Mick Daly, the Courier Mail
December 29, 2006

QUEENSLAND is unlikely to make a play for Lote Tuqiri as the Australia star's huge asking price continues to scare away bidders.
The dual international last week rejected a four-year offer from the Australian Rugby Union worth about $750,000 a season as he chases the biggest contract of his career.

Several NRL clubs have expressed interest in the New South Wales and Wallabies back, who has also been linked to the Reds.

Tuqiri is holidaying with family in Brisbane, and reports suggested he would hold discussions with Reds officials.

But Queensland general manager Alex Pope said last night that Tuqiri was hardly in the Reds' sights, with the 27 year old's enormous price tag highly dissuading.

Tuqiri wants a deal worth $1 million-plus per season - a figure Pope described as "obscene".

"That figure has been inflated and I can't think of many (clubs or provinces) who would pay him that sort of money," he said.

Pope said Queensland's major focus was on continuing the development of its young squad, which boasts an impressive crop of emerging Wallabies.

He ruled out luring Tuqiri from the Waratahs for next season, but would not rule out 2008.

"We think we've got a squad with enormous potential and we need to assess how our players mature and perform," he said.

"Only then will we be able to make a decision on Lote."

Tuqiri maintains he has a "soft spot" for NRL premier Brisbane.

He joined the Broncos as a teen and played four seasons with the club before switching to rugby union in 2003.

But the Broncos are at long odds to secure Tuqiri, with affordability under the salary cap a major stumbling block.