Originally Posted by
lonegull
NRL's Titans target Weepu
By BRAD WALTER - SMH | Friday, 27 July 2007
TITAN TARGET: The Gold Coast Titans NRL side is pursuing Piri Weepu about him swapping codes to league.
Out of favour All Blacks halfback Piri Weepu has been targeted by Gold Coast as a possible recruit - and the New Zealand Rugby League is said to be helping try and facilitate the deal.
Weepu, 23, has been linked to a switch of codes since his shock omission last Sunday from the All Blacks squad to play in the Rugby World Cup in September-October, and Titans chief executive Michael Searle confirmed his club was keen to sign him.
Searle said the fact Weepu had a league background and could play halfback, five-eighth or hooker made him an attractive proposition for Gold Coast.
"They're the areas we are light on so he'd be a good fit for us," Searle told the Sydney Morning Herald from Auckland last night. "He's a good player with plenty of experience at the top level in rugby union, and it would be good to get him back to rugby league if we can."
Searle, who is in New Zealand speaking at a three-day national business and sport summit, said he had hoped to meet with Weepu earlier this week but was unable to. But he did meet NZRL officials, who are keen to get Weepu back to league.
Weepu, whose brother Billy played for Manly in the 1995 grand final, has been informally invited to play for the All Golds in the end-of-season commemorative test against a Northern Union representation in England to mark the 100th anniversary of the first league international, and the NZRL hopes to have his services in next year's Rugby League World Cup.
"I have met with the NZRL, and they are in contact with people close to Piri," Searle said. "At this stage, we're not sure if he would be able to come across next season or the year after but we are interested. He's got a great passing and kicking game."
To make the switch, Weepu would have to gain a release from the final year of his NZRU contract but with a number of other good halfbacks on their books it is understood such a request would be looked at favourably.
As a youngster, Weepu was a ball boy for a Wainuiomata side containing a young Tana Umaga that represented New Zealand at the World Sevens tournament in Sydney in the early 1990s.
He has expressed a desire to play league and controversially said when first selected to play for the All Blacks that he'd always dreamt of playing for the Kiwis.
The NZRU had hoped to satisfy his interest in league when they allowed him to train with the Newcastle Knights during the off-season, but Weepu's snubbing from the World Cup after playing 20 tests in the past three seasons may now be the catalyst for him to cross codes permanently.
If he plays league, Weepu believes he could drop from his current playing weight of 96 kilograms to about 90kg.
Searle said the Titans were also interested in fellow All Black discard Ma'a Nonu, who is understood to have an escape clause in his NZRU contract if he does not make the World Cup squad, but Weepu was their priority.