Gasnier still Knights' top target
BY ROBERT DILLON
20 May, 2010 09:58 AM
KNIGHTS coach Rick Stone said yesterday that the desire to recruit a world-class player in Mark Gasnier would supersede the need to bolster Newcastle's depleted front-row rotation.
Newcastle's engine-room stocks were dealt a body blow last weekend when Kiwi international Evarn Tuimavave ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 34-18 win against Sydney Roosters.
The loss of Tuimavave for the rest of the season, after the well-documented departures of Danny Wicks and Chris Houston before a ball was kicked, has left the Knights three senior props short of their full complement.
Ben Cross, Dan Tolar, Mark Taufua and Richie Fa'aoso are the only established front-rowers still available.
Rookie Joel Edwards, who is yet to make his NRL debut, and Sione Tovo, who has played one first-grade game, are Stone's standby options, although veteran Steve Simpson is no stranger to life in the front line.
The resignation of Wicks and Houston freed up a reported $200,000 under Newcastle's 2010 salary cap, and Newcastle's strategic development manager Keith Onslow has been searching since the pre-season for a replacement prop.
But Stone said the unexpected possibility of signing Gasnier, who has returned to Australia recently after two years playing French rugby union, would take priority.
St George Illawarra have first option at enlisting Gasnier, who would need their permission to join any rival NRL club before 2012, but there are suggestions the Dragons would struggle to fit him under the salary cap.
Asked if he would prefer to recruit a prop or Gasnier for the balance of the season, Stone replied: "Obviously players of Gasnier's calibre come up only every now and then.
"It's pretty hard to say when you can't put a name or a quality on the prop.
"I'd have to say Gasnier right now. Particularly if we could sign him for more than just this year.
"I don't think we'd be considering signing him for just the rest of the year."
Stone said the Knights had been "scouring" for a replacement prop for months "but we haven't quite come up with something we're comfortable with yet".
If the Knights are to make any mid-season signing, the cut-off date is June 30.
"There may still be something come up there, but we understand June 30 is getting closer and we've got to make sure we make an appropriate decision for the club, because probably whoever comes this year will probably sign for the year after that and even another year after that," Stone said.
Stone said Onslow had "made contact" with Gasnier's manager, George Mimis.
"Keith's putting together some sort of package to suggest that if he [Gasnier] can't go back to Saints, he has a realistic option to go to another club," Stone said.
"I understand that his first choice is to go back to Saints, but obviously there are some issues there with their financial position."
A niggling groin injury to Tolar could be the latest drain on Newcastle's front-row stocks.
Tolar is expected to play against West Tigers at EnergyAustralia Stadium tomorrow night, but if he was ruled out, Cessnock junior Edwards would make his debut.
"At the moment, we've got Joel Edwards ahead of Sione Tovo on performances in the NSW Cup," Stone said.
Stone conceded losing Tuimavave, who had not missed a game in the first 10 rounds, was a "massive blow" for Newcastle.
"We were comfortable with our depth, but obviously that has been a little bit diluted with Evarn's injury," Stone said.
"I think we'll up the ante a little more in the front-row [replacement] situation.
"We've got a bit over a month, and we'll need Keith to scour a bit harder and see what we can flush out."
