Inu must fight to keep spot
* By James Phelps
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* January 09, 2010 11:17PM
FORMER New Zealand Test centre Krisnan Inu will have two matches to keep his Parramatta jersey, with the man gunning for his spot suspended until the club's final pre-season hit-out.
Timana Tahu is expected to take Inu's place in the star-studded Eels backline after being brought back to the club from rugby union.
"Tahu won't be playing the first two trials (against St George Illawarra and Penrith) because he is suspended," Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson said. "He won't be available until we play the Roosters."
The Warriors are keen to sign Inu, but Anderson refused to say if the club was prepared to grant the goalkicking centre a release. "I don't know anything about that," Anderson said. "You would have to ask the Warriors. He is training here at the moment and part of the club. I haven't heard anything about this and I don't know where it has come from."
The Warriors confirmed their interest in Inu, predicting the flyer would be relegated to the NSW Cup with Joel Reddy, Jarryd Hayne, Eric Grothe, Luke Burt, Kris Keating, Daniel Mortimer and Tahu expected to make up the Eels backline.
"We are interested in an outside back of his quality," Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said. "But he needs to be available."
Anderson is facing a number of hard selection decisions, with his side bolstered by the addition of Tahu, Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton.
"We have a strong roster," Anderson said. "And that is a good thing. But I don't think we are deeper than anyone else. We are going to rely on everyone and will even need an unknown to step up at some point like Tim Mannah did last year.
"We are going to have to use all our players because you are not going to keep them all healthy."