Eels gain as Warriors make peace with half
By Steve Mascord and James MacSmith
October 31, 2004
The Sun-Herald
Slippery customer: Halfback Thomas Leuluai is delighted that the Warriors seem to have relented and will allow him to move to Parramatta.
Photo: Andy Zakeli
Parramatta are on the verge of signing Kiwi Test halfback Thomas Leuluai after months of protracted, and at times bizarre, negotiations.
The 19-year-old Warriors star has been at the centre of a three-country tug of war after visiting the Eels in late September but being told by the Auckland club he could leave only if he joined a British club.
Since arriving in England for the Tri-Nations series, he has been besieged by offers from English clubs but has held out in the hope of winning a release to go to Sydney.
"It's hard to concentrate on the Tests when people are throwing money at you," he said.
"They have been ringing up, Widnes were very keen. But all along, my first preference was to go to Parramatta and my manager says things have changed in the last 24, 48 hours. It looks as though the Warriors are going to release me so I'm very happy."
Leuluai, son of Kiwi great and Tri-Nations assistant coach James, has had a meteoric rise to the black and white No.7 jersey after spending much of the season in the Bartercard Cup.
Parramatta officials are known to have been angered by the Warriors' stand against his going to another NRL club, and agent Peter Brown has been working hard to convince them to reconsider.
"I went over and had a look and when I got back I told them Parramatta was where I wanted to go," Leuluai said. "They sort of told me they wanted me to go to England.
"But I'm only young, a bit too young to go that far from home.
"I really like it over here and I wouldn't be surprised if, in a couple of years, I ended up back here. But I'm really looking forward to going to Sydney, living on my own and fending for myself. I've got lots of family there, heaps of cousins."
One of them is experienced Manly and former Wests Tigers forward Kylie Leuluai.
Parramatta coach Brian Smith said the club was hopeful of soon announcing the signing of Leuluai.
"The negotiations are without a doubt the longest I've been involved with," Smith said. "I've no idea why they have taken so long but that's the Warriors prerogative.
"We've been close to signing him for the last few weeks. It's been very laid-back. They told him some time ago he could speak to us and we're happy with him. We will be happy to get it done whenever the Warriors decide to conclude negotiations."
All eyes will be on the quietly spoken half when New Zealand resume their Tri-Nations campaign against Great Britain at Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium on Saturday. The Kiwis have only one competition point from their two games against Australia.
Leuluai said the retirement from international football of former Golden Boot winner Stacey Jones had been a shock.
"It made it hard on the young players but it has also given us an opportunity," he said.
Bulldogs whiz-kid Sonny Bill Williams, who played with a sternum injury in the second game against Australia, says he's fit and ready to take on Britain.
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr has ruled out flying in a replacement if skipper Darren Lockyer misses the rest of the tournament. He said 25 players had been taken to England to cover such contingencies.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/30/1099028260013.html
