Waratahs await a Lote lottery ticket
Josh Rakic | July 12, 2009
THE Waratahs will delay seeking a replacement for sacked star Lote Tuqiri, with the international winger's camp "incredibly confident" of winning an unfair dismissal case against the Australian Rugby Union.
Tuqiri's sacking last week for allegedly breaching team protocol is still shrouded in mystery, with the Wallabies' highest-paid star launching immediate legal action to have his $1.2 million-a-year contract reinstated.
A court date is yet to be set but a source close to the rugby league convert revealed Tuqiri's lawyers had compiled their case and were extremely confident of victory against John O'Neill and the ARU.
The source, who spoke to The Sun-Herald on the condition of anonymity, said Tuqiri's legal team was adamant he'd been unfairly dismissed.
"They believe that because the ARU dismissed him, if Lote wins the contract back but decides not to return to the Wallabies, they may have to pay his contract out up to 2012. And maybe damages.
"And if they win that, then Tuqiri could be back with NSW for next season.
"That's why NSW haven't rushed to sign anyone. They're holding out for as long as they can.
"There's every chance of Lote playing for the Waratahs next year but the franchise does have other options if he decides to return to league or go overseas.
"But as far as I know, they knew nothing about Lote being sacked in the first place."
Tuqiri already has the support of Waratahs and Wallabies teammates, including captain Stirling Mortlock, and the Rugby Union Players' Association.
Former West Harbour president Geoff Moxham, who was instrumental in getting Tuqiri involved with the club, hoped the winger's appeal against his sacking was successful, saying the advantages far outweighed any adverse effects on the ARU.
"As I said a few years ago to the press when we were trying to get Lote to play for us, he's invaluable to this club - and not only on the paddock," Moxham said.
"Commercially, he creates a lot of revenue through gate takings and sponsorship but he does a lot of work off the field for us.
"He helps us out with our luncheons and auction items, where we offer training packages that include Lote. He's very generous like that.
"He's a great mentor for the younger guys as well, guides them around the paddock and leads by example at training and away from the field. We would have loved [him to play] for us on Saturday and he's welcome back any time.
"He and guys like Timana Tahu mean a lot to us commercially and it's not just West Harbour. It's just great for this level of rugby in general - it creates a lot of media interest and brings new rugby fans through the gates. And kids want to play rugby and for West Harbour because of him. He's such a generous guy, he stays around for an hour after a game signing autographs in the dark. We wish him all the best."
Meanwhile, the governing bodies of all states are preparing for a possible showdown with O'Neill and the ARU over the possibility of the Melbourne Victory, an open entity, winning the right to the fifth Australian Super franchise over the Victorian Rugby Union.
O'Neill, who had close ties to the soccer club when chief executive of the A-League, acknowledged he knew of the application, while deputy chief executive Matt Carroll revealed he met the bidders while in Melbourne for the Italy Test last month.
"There's a huge fight brewing between the states and O'Neill at the moment over who controls the game," the source said.
"The states are up in arms over the ARU's perceived endorsement of the Melbourne Victory's application for the Super 15 side.
"They believe that if it happens to Victoria, when the others states' licences come up for renewal that a private buyer could easily do the same thing by throwing some big dollars around and taking over the NSWRU's licence. Then the Waratahs would be all dressed up with nowhere to play. They're concerned the ARU has too much control and want the right reserved for the respective states to ratify any team before it's accepted into the competition." The powerbrokers from all five states will meet this week to discuss the issues.
