Dakink
05-04-06, 11:00 AM
from foxsports
Storm seeks Bulgarelli back-up
By Steve Ricketts
April 5, 2006
MELBOURNE has made a bid for former Canberra centre Jason Bulgarelli, who signed last month with Queensland Wizard Cup club Easts.
Easts are willing to dual register Bulgarelli with Storm, but the club is reluctant to release him if it means he will play for Queensland Cup rival Norths, Melbourne's feeder club.
Easts chief executive Darren Smith said yesterday he did not want to stand in the way of Bulgarelli's return to the NRL but the club also did not relish the idea of having the 29 year old as an opponent after negotiating a deal for 2006.
"We are waiting for Jason to get back to us," Smith said. "He only signed here a week ago and it was intended he would play his first match this month after he worked on his fitness.
"We have a lot of injuries in the club and he will come in handy."
A product of the Burdekin club in North Queensland, Bulgarelli played for Illawarra Steelers in the mid-1990s and represented Italy in the 2000 Emerging Nations World Cup.
But he had to wait until May, 2003 to make his NRL debut for Canberra after signing from Easts.
The Raiders sacked him late in 2004 when he was charged with drug offences.
Last year he played in country New South Wales, earning peanuts compared with his $120,000-a-year deal at the Raiders.
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Bulgarelli would come in handy for the Storm at State of Origin time if the club loses centres Matt King to NSW and Greg Inglis to Queensland, as is expected.
Melbourne has a bye this weekend but Inglis could switch to fullback - with Billy Slater facing a long ban for a kicking chargew - with Matt Geyer, Chris Walker and Jake Webster contenders for the centre spot.
Steve Turner, who played wing for the Storm last Sunday, is another fullback prospect.
The Courier-Mail
Either very astute from Bellamy or very dumb....
Storm seeks Bulgarelli back-up
By Steve Ricketts
April 5, 2006
MELBOURNE has made a bid for former Canberra centre Jason Bulgarelli, who signed last month with Queensland Wizard Cup club Easts.
Easts are willing to dual register Bulgarelli with Storm, but the club is reluctant to release him if it means he will play for Queensland Cup rival Norths, Melbourne's feeder club.
Easts chief executive Darren Smith said yesterday he did not want to stand in the way of Bulgarelli's return to the NRL but the club also did not relish the idea of having the 29 year old as an opponent after negotiating a deal for 2006.
"We are waiting for Jason to get back to us," Smith said. "He only signed here a week ago and it was intended he would play his first match this month after he worked on his fitness.
"We have a lot of injuries in the club and he will come in handy."
A product of the Burdekin club in North Queensland, Bulgarelli played for Illawarra Steelers in the mid-1990s and represented Italy in the 2000 Emerging Nations World Cup.
But he had to wait until May, 2003 to make his NRL debut for Canberra after signing from Easts.
The Raiders sacked him late in 2004 when he was charged with drug offences.
Last year he played in country New South Wales, earning peanuts compared with his $120,000-a-year deal at the Raiders.
Advertisement:
Bulgarelli would come in handy for the Storm at State of Origin time if the club loses centres Matt King to NSW and Greg Inglis to Queensland, as is expected.
Melbourne has a bye this weekend but Inglis could switch to fullback - with Billy Slater facing a long ban for a kicking chargew - with Matt Geyer, Chris Walker and Jake Webster contenders for the centre spot.
Steve Turner, who played wing for the Storm last Sunday, is another fullback prospect.
The Courier-Mail
Either very astute from Bellamy or very dumb....