Another good prop off to england ...

[FUIFUI_MOIMOI]

Warriors' prop off to Wigan
June 28, 2005

NEW Zealand Warriors prop Iafeta Paleaaesina has signed with English Super League club Wigan, the Warriors announced today.

Paleaaesina will leave the Warriors at the end of the season, club CEO Mick Watson said.

Paleaaesina's manager Peter Brown secured the deal during a trip to England ahead of the NRL's June 30 anti-tampering deadline.

Watson said Paleaaesina had signed a lucrative contract with Wigan.

"We wanted to retain Iafeta and we did all we could to try to accommodate him," Watson said.

"But with the experience he has gained and the salary cap restraints in the NRL we couldn't compete with the offer he had from Wigan."

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"No club in the NRL would be able to come close to it."

 

[Mr Saab]

thats a massive loss to the warriors.
Shame to see him leave the NRL

 

[Scott]

Terrible loss - inept Warriors management to blame again!

 

[raidersfan]

Why do all the good Kiwis go to england? Fa'afili, Swann, Seu Seu, Jones, Leuleui ....

 

[Southern Rooster]

Terrible loss - inept Warriors management to blame again!

Nope. Inept NRL for making clubs stick at a lower level of income rather trying to keep up.

Either that or we should have the English Super League Clubs on a salary cap equivalent to Australia's.

NZ can't afford to lose a player of his popularity. He bought people thru the gate as did Ali Laui'titi.

 

[Southern Rooster]

Why do all the good Kiwis go to england? Fa'afili, Swann, Seu Seu, Jones, Leuleui ....

Because the NRl does not let them get paid what they are worth and the other fact is that they can still be selected for NZ from the Super League.

If Aussie players could be picked from the ESL for Origin and International duties we would see an influx of our best talent over there as well.

 

[raidersfan]

I wish clubs like the Rabbitohs picked up some of these Kiwis instead of bloody Wigan.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

We've had so many Kiwis going to the ESL in the last few years, its making to harder to field a proper NZL test team mid season.

They should have everyone available for the tests.

 

[Bulldog Power]

that guy is a young wrecking ball

he is only 23 or so isnt he?

what a shame

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

We are in mourning over here

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Mick Watson can f**k off to Wigan as well

 

[melon....]

Thank you salary cap.......doesnt necessarily spread the talent within the NRL does it?

 

[Mr Saab]

melon? or is that gus gould?
I agree the cap has to be raised, but no club could match Wigans offer. They run a Mint over there.

 

[Kurt Sherlock's Mo]

True Charlie, we'll never compete with the UK clubs for pure $ but with a little more under the cap Clubs like NZ can leverage off non-monetary advantages such as lifestyle, cost of living and staying close to family and friends.

At the moment its no contest, especially for props who are perennially under-rewarded in the dividing of the pie.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Did players still go to England before there was a salary cap?

I think Harry Bath might have gone in the 50's ...he must have been the only one..

 

[Mr Saab]

yes they did, but the seasons were different. They used to play thru Australias summer. So players would play Windifeld cup and then go o/s and play for Hull, Wigan, Salford, Leeds etc. Hence why we had a kangaroo tour where australia would play leadup games vs various clubs. The last was 1994...i miss those days.
Now Englands season is played in the same months as the NRL.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Your right about the seasons being at different times, enabling players to play both competitions.

Regardless of there being a salary cap or not, we will always lose players to England because they can afford to pay more money then what we can in Australia, and they have cheaper tax rates as well.

Also, dare I say it but the comp is not as tough, and your career can be extended a couple of years by playing over there...

 

[Mr Saab]

alot of kiwis go over there because :

They can get massive money
There are alot of kiwis over there playing
They will still get picked for test matches.

 

[m0j0]

Did players still go to England before there was a salary cap?

I think Harry Bath might have gone in the 50's ...he must have been the only one..

I might be going back a bit further than you were thinking, but Dave Brown spent some time in England back in the 30's.

 

[Twizzle]

there will be no one left in the NRL soon