ARU $3.5m offer to keep Lote

[Burgs]

ARU $3.5m offer to keep Lote

Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent and Rupert Guinness in Kimberley
Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri will next week be offered a deal worth more than $3.5 million over four seasons to ensure he does not return to rugby league.

And Wallabies coach John Connolly, concerned about a dearth of quality outside backs, is also hoping to convince Queensland centre Ben Tune not to retire after the Super 14 tournament, as he is looking at him as a 2007 World Cup squad member.

Amid reports he wanted to follow Mat Rogers back to the league ranks when his contract expires after the World Cup, Tuqiri recently knocked back the ARU's original offer. But the ARU will re-open negotiations next week when the NSW winger returns from South Africa.

Although the new deal is similar in some respects to the original offer, it is staggered in such a way as to ensure that the 27-year-old Tuqiri remains in rugby virtually until he retires. The contract will be increased from about $800,000 for each of the first two seasons to up to $1 million in the third and fourth years.

Although rugby league cannot officially raise comparable sums because of the salary cap, ARU officials are concerned that through lucrative third-party deals the rival code could lure Tuqiri back. They argue such deals prevented rugby being able to tempt Mark Gasnier into switching from league last season. ARU officials believe Tuqiri's staying in rugby is a "50-50" proposition.

Tuqiri said yesterday that while in South Africa he had been in contact with his business adviser, Les Ross. The most recent league talks have been with Rabbitohs boss Peter Holmes a Court.

"Les has been talking with him and has all the options ready for me," Tuqiri said. "We will sit down and have a look at them all next week."

ARU general manager Pat Wilson, who will be involved in the Tuqiri negotiations, was coy about the subject yesterday.

"We're just doing some internal dialogue on the subject to work out where we stand," Wilson said. "But it is fair to say we were interested in some comments over the weekend, which include that he is supposedly meeting with the Sydney Roosters and he may take a reduced deal to go back to league.

"The main thing for us is to hear from Lote that he has a genuine desire to play for the Wallabies."

Tuqiri has admitted his on-field decision-making edge has gone missing on NSW's three-match tour of South Africa. He also concedes the contractual negotiations over his playing future have been a burden but refuses to blame it for his woes on the paddock.

"It has and it hasn't," Tuqiri said when arriving in Kimberley, where the Waratahs will play the Cheetahs on Saturday (Sunday morning, Sydney time). "It is not an excuse. It's more about it being so early in the season and me needing to sharpen up."

For a player of such talent, Tuqiri knows he has yet to leave his mark in the Super 14, saying: "Some of my decision-making wasn't the best and something I should improve on. It is [about] repetition in training. We haven't done enough of it, especially for South African teams that kick a lot. I just have to get out on the training park and try and do that, get used to doing that - making the right decisions."

His comments come as NSW reach the end of a tour that has challenged the players' resilience to travel extensively, as South Africans teams do. Now they must tackle Kimberley's arid, dry heat.

"It has been hard," Tuqiri said. "We were all hydrated, but we seemed a bit flat [against the Sharks]. I still feel flat now."

Tune is also in the ARU's sights, with Wallabies officials wanting him to reconsider his decision to retire after the Super 14 because his body "has just had enough". There is a shortage of capable, experienced midfielders in Australia and Connolly is among many who believe Tune will be invaluable at this year's World Cup.



Lote's whole lot of offers

From Peter Jenkins in Kimberley, c/o FoxSports
February 13, 2007

RUGBY superstar Lote Tuqiri plans to settle his future within a month after revealing that five NRL clubs are in the chase for his signature next season.

Tuqiri said he expects firm offers from the Sharks, South Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sydbney Roosters within a fortnight and will weigh them against an Australian Rugby Union bid to keep him in the game beyond the World Cup.

The celebrated dual international, concerned at his lack of game-breaking impact in the opening two rounds of Super 14, said the uncertainty over where his career was headed has been a factor in his flat start to the series.

But he also vowed the Waratahs' clash with the Cheetahs in Kimberley on Sunday morning, the last of their three matches in South Africa, "will be the best game I've played this year".

Tuqiri's advisor Les Ross has been handling negotiations with interested parties during the Waratahs tour.

"He's had meetings and I think he's going to have everything out on the table when I get back," said the wing. "Hopefully I can nut something out within a month or so.

"I'd like to get it over with sooner rather than later. I've said that all along but things just haven't happened.

"With the ARU we haven't got a clear sort of reference in where to go with them.

"There's a lot of issues they're dealing with at the moment and I think we've been put to the side a bit. But Les spoke to (ARU official) Pat Wilson last week and he's getting back to us. So we'll see what happens from there."

The ARU initially offered Tuqiri a four-year deal worth around $3 million, a figure well short of the $1 million-a-year contract that sources claimed he was likely to receive.

Asked if the ongoing battle for his services was affecting his form, Tuqiri said: "Everything going on probably hasn't helped and it's something I've just got to shut out."

But he suggested there were other issues he needed to resolve to rediscover the spark that has made him a world-class attacking threat since switching codes in 2003.

"To be honest I don't think I have as big a responsibility in this team to make things happen as I do at the Wallabies," he said.

"I need to demand the ball more and get into the game earlier. I'm not putting pressure on myself to do that.

"I've got to step up. I've got to try harder to make things happen, to be the man."

[frontrow]

Thats a lot of money the grassroots are gonna miss out on, and i bet there are a lot of young up and comers who could make the grade as well as, or better than lote has...

[Thequeerone]

I really really rate Lote and think he is a fantastic player etc.. but at the moment his heart seems to be with League - commiting to 3 more years to Union when it seems he wants to do something else - well it seems stupid - most of us don't have options and have to do stuff we don't want to for a buck but he doesn't need it
I'd agree with tempting him to stay for the world cup but I would hope it is something he wants to do himself - cause if he doesn't there is no amount of money going to produce the magic we need

Gitts money well he seems happy here and I hope he is happy here - don't begrudge him a cent would like to think that a couple of the other players had generous contracts too

[Egan]

Its an interesting one. Tuquiri shouldn't need to be motivated by money to stay in Union...

[Nick]

He is an internaional quality back and i think has swayed the tide more than once for the wallabies - as an AB support I'm fine with him not being in the Wallabies especially in a world cup year - however as a Rugby Fan who loves to see a great game of Footy (and my team beat the best opposition out there) I think that the ARU would be mad to let him slip through there fingers.

Lote's loves playing Rugby but he also Loves Leauge why wouldn't it come down to things like money and where he feels like his best intrests are?

How much of the offer is third party payments? They made up a significant part of Gits amount and that was never heading into grass roots rugby.

It doesn't matter if its Leauge or in some cases Off Shore the ARU has to be competitive in it's payments thats just life.

[Shaun]

Lote is a uncommitted, overrated bloke who is not worth nearly that amount. Go back to League where you belong.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Lote is a uncommitted, overrated bloke who is not worth nearly that amount. Go back to League where you belong.

Well said Shaun. Dont wont to play for your country..bugger off.

[pruc]

Well said Shaun. Dont wont to play for your country..bugger off.

agreed!

[littleleck]

I don't like Lote. He reverts to League style everytime he is under pressure.
Surely there are 3.5 million better ways to spend that money.

[Shaun]

if the ARU pay Lote that they would have to do the same for other players. eg. Chris Latham, Mortlock. Just because Lote has a little hissy fit and throws his toys threatening to go back to NRL does not mean you have to pay him those huge bucks! If Lote can have a little sad and get a huge contract why can't the other players, who in my opinion are better and more commited than him.

[qld supporter]

That's ridiculous money to pay anyone. It's rumoured he'll take less money to play league, if that's the case he's gone already, however if he's trying to boost his contract price up I hope they cut him loose. That money could be far better spent in developing up and coming talent from the rugby nurseries

[Darren]

Be very interesting to know how much of that 3.5 million is ARU, NSWRU and Corporate funds....

[.X.]

Cya Lote. Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.

[prop53]

Why try and keep some one (although the cash would be nice) who"s heart is not in the game. I agree that the money would be better spent on the youth of the game.

[Burgs]

A fair trade and far better use of money I reckon!

Tate, Tuqiri could trade places

By Bret Harris and Stuart Honeysett
February 14, 2007

BRENT Tate and Lote Tuqiri may be about to cross paths, with the former set to move to rugby and the latter chased by five NRL clubs - including Brisbane.

The Australian Rugby Union confirmed it had spoken to Test wing Tate and is considering holding further talks with him.

If Tate decides to switch codes, the Broncos would have more room under the salary cap to lure Tuqiri back to the club.

"We've had an informal chat with Brent Tate and we are open to further discussions if required," ARU high performance manager Pat Wilson said.

"We've had a meeting and talked about whether he has skills which would suit rugby and perhaps he does. If he wanted to play rugby, we would see him in the outside back area.

"We may look to have another discussion with him in coming weeks."

Waratahs wing Tuqiri rejected the ARU's initial attempt to re-sign him, which was conditional upon him not negotiating with league clubs.

The ARU will talk to Tuqiri when he returns from South Africa with the Waratahs and make him a new offer.

The Broncos are one of five NRL clubs chasing Tuqiri, with the Gold Coast, South Sydney, Cronulla and Sydney Roosters also in the process of submitting offers.

If the Broncos can table a competitive offer, they would be favourite to secure Tuqiri's signature.

The saga took another turn yesterday when the Roosters' chairman, Nick Politis, contacted Tuqiri's business adviser, Les Ross, to find out what it would cost to lure the former Broncos player back to the NRL.

When asked yesterday if he had spoken to Ross about Tuqiri, Politis said, "We're one of 10 clubs or so (interested in him).

"I've been away overseas and I spoke to Les before I went away. We'll pursue it."

However, Ross confirmed he would talk to Politis.

"We haven't had a meeting yet but I'll be speaking to him today," Ross said.

Roosters' coach Chris Anderson said he believed Tuqiri was genuine about returning to the NRL and it was now a matter of which club secured his services for 2008.

"It's gone on this long, it's genuine," Anderson said.

"He's a quality player and he's a good bloke. He's a bloke you'd like to have in your club."

Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce said he met Ross last week and the club was putting together an offer that would appeal to Tuqiri.

Given the ARU offered Tuqiri $3 million over fours years, it is understood the Wallabies wing is looking for more than $600,000 a season to return to the NRL.

It is also understood Tuqiri is keen for the bulk of that offer to come from a club's $3.9 million salary cap, rather than be made up with the uncertainty of sponsorship dollars.

"The club is still seriously looking at its options and putting a deal together that won't (affect) the cap and still entice Lote to come and play with us," Pierce said.

"We've still got to comply with the NRL rules and regulations and also not (affect) our salary cap to prevent us from signing other players."