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Rabbitohs can make Anasta 'icon'
June 3, 2005
SOUTH Sydney board member Jim Lahood believes Braith Anasta can reach "iconic status" if he joins the Rabbitohs next season.
Anasta indicated his first preference is to re-sign with the Bulldogs after rejecting a two-year deal from the Australian Rugby Union yesterday.
But the Rabbitohs with $2 million to spend on player recruitment are desperate to sign a marquee name after the June 30 deadline expires and Anasta is high on their priority list.
"I'm pleading with the boy not to do anything in a hurry until he's heard the sort of offer we can give him and the plans we have for him," said Lahood.
"If he comes to Souths and it goes according to plan, then he will have an iconic status in the game.
"He's got an opportunity that few people can say they've had. A chance for not only your own personal greatness but to be so much to so many.
"If he needs to look at how important rugby league is to the public, he only has to look at the esteem that his uncle George (Piggins) is held in nationwide.
"We're looking at giving the kid a chance to be another George Piggins."
Souths leagues president Piggins, who led the fight to have the Rabbitohs readmitted to the competition in 2002, said it would be a fairytale if his nephew returned to the club for which he played as a junior.
"I'm confident," said Piggins about the chances of Anasta moving to Redfern.
"He may have been looking for a challenge as far as going to (rugby) union but coming back to Souths is a bigger challenge.
"I think Richo (Souths CEO Shane Richardson) is the bloke to put the players around him. It'd be unbelievable to be a part of a Souths revival.
"A young bloke like him coming here and pulling our juniors together and possibly pulling the district together where we become a force again in rugby league, well it would be a fairytale."
Ironically Lahood helped convince Anasta to join the Bulldogs when Souths were booted out of the competition at the end of 1999.
But now Lahood wants the 23-year-old former NSW and Test player and other top class players to join the Rabbitohs, despite their poor record over the three-and-a-half years.
"People like Braith Anasta should be encouraged to go to Souths," he said.
"Let's say to these people 'look, it might be a bit of a hard slog but that's a sign of your character'.
"You're going to get remunerated pretty well and you're going to be playing for a club with an enormous proud tradition.
"People who do give Souths back their glory on the football park, they won't be legends of the game, they'll become icons.
"They'll be the next generation of Sattlers, McCarthys, Piggins and Cootes."
Lahood also issued a word of advice for the Gold Coast, which will field a team in the NRL competition from 2007, saying it will be difficult for the franchise to attract marquee players.
"The Gold Coast are going to find out just how hard it is because it's cut-throat out there," he said.
"There is a scarcity of real quality players. When a great players comes up (on the open market) that's why there's all this hoopla. "In the last 10 or 15 years the code has been so focused on the higher echelon of players they've forgotten about the production line below."
AAP
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,15494872-23210,00.html
June 3, 2005
SOUTH Sydney board member Jim Lahood believes Braith Anasta can reach "iconic status" if he joins the Rabbitohs next season.
Anasta indicated his first preference is to re-sign with the Bulldogs after rejecting a two-year deal from the Australian Rugby Union yesterday.
But the Rabbitohs with $2 million to spend on player recruitment are desperate to sign a marquee name after the June 30 deadline expires and Anasta is high on their priority list.
"I'm pleading with the boy not to do anything in a hurry until he's heard the sort of offer we can give him and the plans we have for him," said Lahood.
"If he comes to Souths and it goes according to plan, then he will have an iconic status in the game.
"He's got an opportunity that few people can say they've had. A chance for not only your own personal greatness but to be so much to so many.
"If he needs to look at how important rugby league is to the public, he only has to look at the esteem that his uncle George (Piggins) is held in nationwide.
"We're looking at giving the kid a chance to be another George Piggins."
Souths leagues president Piggins, who led the fight to have the Rabbitohs readmitted to the competition in 2002, said it would be a fairytale if his nephew returned to the club for which he played as a junior.
"I'm confident," said Piggins about the chances of Anasta moving to Redfern.
"He may have been looking for a challenge as far as going to (rugby) union but coming back to Souths is a bigger challenge.
"I think Richo (Souths CEO Shane Richardson) is the bloke to put the players around him. It'd be unbelievable to be a part of a Souths revival.
"A young bloke like him coming here and pulling our juniors together and possibly pulling the district together where we become a force again in rugby league, well it would be a fairytale."
Ironically Lahood helped convince Anasta to join the Bulldogs when Souths were booted out of the competition at the end of 1999.
But now Lahood wants the 23-year-old former NSW and Test player and other top class players to join the Rabbitohs, despite their poor record over the three-and-a-half years.
"People like Braith Anasta should be encouraged to go to Souths," he said.
"Let's say to these people 'look, it might be a bit of a hard slog but that's a sign of your character'.
"You're going to get remunerated pretty well and you're going to be playing for a club with an enormous proud tradition.
"People who do give Souths back their glory on the football park, they won't be legends of the game, they'll become icons.
"They'll be the next generation of Sattlers, McCarthys, Piggins and Cootes."
Lahood also issued a word of advice for the Gold Coast, which will field a team in the NRL competition from 2007, saying it will be difficult for the franchise to attract marquee players.
"The Gold Coast are going to find out just how hard it is because it's cut-throat out there," he said.
"There is a scarcity of real quality players. When a great players comes up (on the open market) that's why there's all this hoopla. "In the last 10 or 15 years the code has been so focused on the higher echelon of players they've forgotten about the production line below."
AAP
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,15494872-23210,00.html
