Reni Maitua shuns UK to chase rep return
By Margie McDonald
December 24, 2008
SACKED Bulldogs utility Reni Maitua intends playing with a club that will give him the best opportunity of breaking back into representative football next year.
After North Queensland cited salary-cap pressure in not signing him, it was believed the only choices left for Maitua, 26, were Super League in the UK or European rugby union.
But Maitua and his manager Sam Ayoub have four NRL clubs interested.
They held meetings with Souths and Cronulla over the past two days and are still in negotiations with Gold Coast and Melbourne.
"I'll be making my decision based on what's best for my football in 2009," Maitua said.
"I have real hopes of playing rep football again. So with that in mind, and the number of clubs involved, I want to choose carefully."
Maitua made his debut for Australia in 2006 in the Tri-Nations series. But he injured a knee in the first game and sat out the rest of the tournament.
A move to the Sharks would reunite him with Ricky Stuart, who gave him his start in representative football.
Maitua was named in Samoa's side for the World Cup in November, but a shoulder prevented him playing.
Ayoub is confident Maitua would be signed to a new NRL club in time to start training on January 5, when most squads resume after the Christmas-New Year break. "That is a distinct and genuine possibility," Ayoub said.
"There's been just a few things that have slowed us down a little in tying things up."
The Bulldogs signed backrower David Stagg to a two-year deal on Monday, thus making it unlikely Maitua would be reinstated.
Maitua was sacked
for missing training three weeks ago. He had apologised after sleeping in and wanted to appeal to the Bulldogs board for reinstatement.
But the club said the incident was not isolated, that it was the latest in a long line of indiscretions.
Ayoub said yesterday Maitua no longer wanted to play for the Bulldogs and would not proceed with his appeal.
However, lawyers for Maitua initiated legal action with the club on Tuesday to retrieve money after the termination of his contract, which was due to run out at the end of next year.
Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia was noncommittal on the depth of his club's interest in Maitua. The Sharks have already signed Trent Barrett and Anthony Tupou for next year.
"Ricky and I haven't even discussed it in any length yet," Zappia said.
"We've still got Greg Bird to sort out, so that's my priority at the moment."
It is believed Bird is in the United States, having left Sydney last Thursday.
His girlfriend, Kate Milligan, is from New York but it is not known what Bird's movements are. Under the terms of a NSW court order, Bird is not allowed to approach Milligan or have any type of contact with her other than via lawyers.
The Sharks board has left a 10-page reply by Bird, over his alleged assault of Milligan last August, with the club's lawyers before any further action is taken.
Bird has to answer separate charges, including reckless wounding and lying to police, in the NSW Supreme Court in April.
