All Black to train with Knights
All Black to train with Knights
Thursday, January 4, 2007 - 4:25 PM
The All Blacks may have handed Newcastle a potential replacement for Andrew Johns in New Zealand halfback Piri Weepu.
Weepu will next week start pre-season training with the Knights after the New Zealand Rugby Union organised a week-long, cross-code stint.
The 23-year-old, who will arrive in Newcastle on Saturday, has a strong league background and has already shown a desire to play in the NRL.
But the NZRU has little concern about placing him in the rival code's hands, or with a club needing to fill the giant hole of Johns's pending retirement.
The Knights last year flagged their interest in talking with Weepu but that hasn't stopped senior NZ officials and All Blacks coaches approving the stint.
Weepu is one of 22 All Blacks being rested from the first half of the Super 14 to condition themselves perfectly for a tilt at lifting the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.
New Zealand backs coach Wayne Smith, a friend of new Knights coach Brian Smith, suggested the novel approach on the basis of league's intense training, Weepu's interest in the game and Johns's involvement.
"We were quite flattered. It's a feather in the club's cap and in Brian Smith's cap," Newcastle chief executive Ken Conway told AAP.
"(Weepu) said he was keen to come over here and train under a different environment and train under Brian Smith and perhaps chew the fat with Andrew Johns."
The 2007 season is expected to be former Test skipper Johns' swan song in the NRL and youngster Jarrod Mullen is earmarked to take his playmaking role.
While Conway six months ago said the club was interested in negotiating with Weepu, he now denies any "ulterior motives".
"There's been no formal or informal discussions and I don't anticipate, unless he brings the topic up, there will be," he said.
The 15-Test halfback is contracted to the NZRU and Hurricanes until the end of 2008 but only last season left the door open for switching codes after the World Cup in France.
"I still watch a lot of league at the weekend and I still feel that passion and desire to be a part of it," he told NZ's Sunday News in July.
"I guess we'll see how things go next year and, hopefully, I'll be a part of the squad and do well.
"I'm just waiting for the time and, when I'm ready to go, I'll go."
Weepu's older brother Billy played as a forward for Manly and he grew up playing league for Wellington club Wainuiomata, which has produced the likes of John Lomax, Paul Whatuira and Tana Umaga.
NZRL board member and former Wainui coach Ken Laban, whose son Hanan played Jersey Flegg for Newcastle last year, has been a conduit for Weepu's stint with the Knights.
Weepu will stay with Hanan at the residence of former Knights chairman Michael Hill and Laban expects Knights players will get into the "excited" Hurricane's ear about a switch for 2008.
"It's naive to suggest that they won't but I'd be very surprised if he entertained any thought of it at this stage of his rugby union career," he said.
"It's a great opportunity for Piri to be alongside Joey and in a different environment.
"He's a very similar type of player. He's very aggressive, very robust and has a bit of skill.
"It will be good for him and I'm sure Joey will enjoy his company."
Source: AAP
