Blacklock Released!

[imported_Saint_Benny1]

Just heard on Channel 10 news!

 

[Willow]

<span>May 17, 2003</span>
THE king of backflips – Nathan Blacklock – will return to the club he walked out on 12 months ago after being officially released by the NSW Rugby Union yesterday.
Blacklock, 27, will finalise the terms of his new deal at St George Illawarra early next week with coach Nathan Brown expecting him at training as early as Tuesday. But while Brown confirmed the two-time NRL leading tryscorer would be wearing the famous red and white against Souths in round 11, he also warned there would be no playing favourites with his former teammate. "He's going to be playing Premier League because the two blokes we've got there – Amos Roberts and Hassan Saleh – are both in form at the moment," Brown said. "I'm sure with injuries and once he finds his feet Tingha will start putting some pressure on but he's not going straight into the NRL just because he's come back." The latest Blacklock move caps a dramatic 12 months for the one-time Kangaroos winger, who walked out on the Dragons last year claiming he was disillusioned and wanted to play rugby. The somersaulting star then managed just five matches for the NSW Waratahs, including one game where he scored a sensational kick-and-chase try, before performing another backflip by declaring his heart was still with rugby league. "NSW rugby threw me a lifeline when I needed it and for that I will be eternally grateful," Blacklock said. "Everyone at the Waratahs has been really good to me and made me feel welcome, but my heart is just not in it." Blacklock's brief rugby career hit a low against Queensland when he lost control of a ball in the dying minutes, allowing Reds centre Steve Kefu to touch down which cost the Waratahs a bonus point. NSW coach Bob Dwyer initially declared Blacklock would be forced to play out his two-year deal, however the Waratahs eventually relented. "Obviously Nathan's time with NSW Rugby didn't work out as we all hoped but we wish him all the best with whatever he pursues in the future," NSW Rugby Union executive director John McKay said.

 

[Willow]

<span>Leeds chasing Blacklock</span>
<span>May 17, 2003</span>
ENGLISH Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos have owned up to being the club chasing former Kangaroo winger Nathan Blacklock, who is set to return to rugby league after a brief stint in union.
Blacklock, who has been released by the NSW Waratahs, said he turned down a lucrative offer from an unnamed British club in order to return to St George Illawarra. Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington today confessed to expressing a "24-hour interest" in Blacklock. "I expect we will be the club he is referring to because we were asked if we were interested and I said we probably would be," Hetherington said today. "We never had time to discuss it as a club and his agent rang us back the next day to say he had he changed his mind so basically there were no further discussions." But Hetherington said he expected talks with other Australian players squeezed out under the NRL salary cap. "We got a fax through only the other day. There are lots of players from Australia who are available," he said. However, Super League clubs have agreed to reduce the number of overseas players allowed in each club from five to four next year and to three in 2005.

 

[imported_Saint_Benny1]

have it on good authority we can't afford to keep Blacklock in 2004!

 

[Willow]

Doesn't matter. That is then...this is now.