Ryan
Journey Man
Manly - pick him up, like we have done with Bani from QLD, and cutlurise him. He said he'd pick "something" up in the NRL again.
Sunday December 10, 2006
Sione Faumuina's rugby league career is once again in doubt after he walked out on UK Super League club London Harlequins last week.
The 25-year-old had his Warriors contract terminated in August after repeated breaches of club discipline and his three-year deal with Harlequins was touted as a new start.
He missed three training sessions with the club and then flew home to Auckland, citing family reasons.
Harlequins director of coaching Tony Rea told the Herald on Sunday there was no chance they would take Faumuina back but they had accepted his reasons for leaving.
"We knew why he wasn't at training but we weren't told by him that he wouldn't be coming back," Rea said. "We were told by a couple of his team-mates.
"We are disappointed to lose him because he was training really well but we had to accept his story. He said he would pick something up back over [in the NRL].
"It was a pretty bad day for us because we also lost Solomon Haumono the same day [when he announced his retirement from rugby league to resume boxing]."
Faumuina has had a chequered career since making his NRL debut for Canberra in 2001 and, although undoubtedly a talented player, NRL clubs could be wary of taking him.
He found himself in hot water after he drunkenly abused Warriors coach Ivan Cleary, Kiwis coach Brian McClennan and Warriors prop Ruben Wiki at Awen Guttenbeil's testimonial luncheon this year.
He was fined $5000 and reprimanded for that outburst but followed it up less than four weeks later with another expletive-laden tirade in front of fans following the Warriors' end-of-season win over the Roosters.
Faumuina's agent Peter Brown declined to comment on what had happened or Faumuina's prospects of picking up a new contract until he had spoken to the player.
* The Auckland Lions expect to make their debut in next year's NSW Premier League in the curtainraiser to the Warriors' opening game of the NRL season on March 17.
The Lions received the backing of the NZRL board on Friday and expect to be given the green light by the NSWRL board this week.
Lions chairman Tony Sadgrove said they had already been pencilled into next year's draw.
Sadgrove said they would draw the best players from the Bartercard Cup, including their own three-time champion side, and also take Warriors not needed for NRL duty.
"We've felt there's been a gap in the system ever since the NRL scrapped the reserve grade in 1997," Sadgrove said. "We're really happy with what has happened."
It will also come as a major boost to the Warriors and, with an under-20 NRL competition likely to be introduced in 2008, will help develop depth at the club.
"If it all goes ahead, it will be really exciting for us," Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said. "It gives an opportunity for our non-playing NRL players to compete at a good level and to have what will essentially be an Auckland rep team playing Australian teams in curtainraisers each week would be great."
Brian McClennan will not coach the side but will be the director of coaching. It will cost close to $1 million to fund the team but there's a hope it will become profitable.
Just Imagine:-
01. Brett Stewart
02. Steve Matai
03. Jamie Lyon
04. Steven Bell
05. Chris Hicks
06. Travis Burns
07. Matt Orford
08. Jason King
09. Michael Monaghan
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Steve Menzies
13. Sione Faumuina
14. Shayne Dunley
15. Mark Bryant
16. Geroge Rose
17. Jack Afamasanga
Impact / Aggression and power right accross the park.
Sunday December 10, 2006
Sione Faumuina's rugby league career is once again in doubt after he walked out on UK Super League club London Harlequins last week.
The 25-year-old had his Warriors contract terminated in August after repeated breaches of club discipline and his three-year deal with Harlequins was touted as a new start.
He missed three training sessions with the club and then flew home to Auckland, citing family reasons.
Harlequins director of coaching Tony Rea told the Herald on Sunday there was no chance they would take Faumuina back but they had accepted his reasons for leaving.
"We knew why he wasn't at training but we weren't told by him that he wouldn't be coming back," Rea said. "We were told by a couple of his team-mates.
"We are disappointed to lose him because he was training really well but we had to accept his story. He said he would pick something up back over [in the NRL].
"It was a pretty bad day for us because we also lost Solomon Haumono the same day [when he announced his retirement from rugby league to resume boxing]."
Faumuina has had a chequered career since making his NRL debut for Canberra in 2001 and, although undoubtedly a talented player, NRL clubs could be wary of taking him.
He found himself in hot water after he drunkenly abused Warriors coach Ivan Cleary, Kiwis coach Brian McClennan and Warriors prop Ruben Wiki at Awen Guttenbeil's testimonial luncheon this year.
He was fined $5000 and reprimanded for that outburst but followed it up less than four weeks later with another expletive-laden tirade in front of fans following the Warriors' end-of-season win over the Roosters.
Faumuina's agent Peter Brown declined to comment on what had happened or Faumuina's prospects of picking up a new contract until he had spoken to the player.
* The Auckland Lions expect to make their debut in next year's NSW Premier League in the curtainraiser to the Warriors' opening game of the NRL season on March 17.
The Lions received the backing of the NZRL board on Friday and expect to be given the green light by the NSWRL board this week.
Lions chairman Tony Sadgrove said they had already been pencilled into next year's draw.
Sadgrove said they would draw the best players from the Bartercard Cup, including their own three-time champion side, and also take Warriors not needed for NRL duty.
"We've felt there's been a gap in the system ever since the NRL scrapped the reserve grade in 1997," Sadgrove said. "We're really happy with what has happened."
It will also come as a major boost to the Warriors and, with an under-20 NRL competition likely to be introduced in 2008, will help develop depth at the club.
"If it all goes ahead, it will be really exciting for us," Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said. "It gives an opportunity for our non-playing NRL players to compete at a good level and to have what will essentially be an Auckland rep team playing Australian teams in curtainraisers each week would be great."
Brian McClennan will not coach the side but will be the director of coaching. It will cost close to $1 million to fund the team but there's a hope it will become profitable.
Just Imagine:-
01. Brett Stewart
02. Steve Matai
03. Jamie Lyon
04. Steven Bell
05. Chris Hicks
06. Travis Burns
07. Matt Orford
08. Jason King
09. Michael Monaghan
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Steve Menzies
13. Sione Faumuina
14. Shayne Dunley
15. Mark Bryant
16. Geroge Rose
17. Jack Afamasanga
Impact / Aggression and power right accross the park.
