http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/bungle-dogs-matt/story-e6frfgbo-1225853871102
Bungle dogs Matt
By Josh Massoud and James Phelps From: The Daily Telegraph April 15, 2010 12:00AM
Stymied...Matt Utai. Source: The Daily Telegraph
HE COULD have been lining up for Wests Tigers against his ex-Bulldogs teammates tomorrow night, but a bizarre contract bungle has Matt Utai playing park football for Auburn Warriors instead.
Sport Confidential can reveal the Tigers offered Utai an NRL lifeline after the Kiwi international reneged on a $130,000 deal to play in the English Super League with Celtic Crusaders late last year.
With his former Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes - now strength and conditioning man at Concord - convincing Tigers officials to take a punt on the blockbusting winger, Wests were keen to have Utai on board until told they would be hit with a transfer fee.
"Matt signed with the Crusaders, but told them he wasn't going to England because he wanted to retire," said a source close to Utai. "He was keen to play with the Tigers but the Crusaders would have hit the roof and demanded compensation, which the Tigers would not have paid.
The stand-off has left Utai playing park football alongside former Bulldog Andrew Emelio at the Auburn Warriors, where he has signed on as captain-coach.
However, easing the pain of the lost $130,000, Utai got to lift an oversized trophy when his side won the Grand Hotel Kiama Rugby League Nines on the South Coast last month.
sounds like he is a major 1 , but if he can catch a ball and run straight and not like some twig wimp going sideways ill settle for him as a tiger
