Wests Tigers will learn on Wednesday if they have signed Warrior Tui Lolohea
WESTS Tigers will learn on Wednesday if they have signed New Zealand Warriors young gun Tui Lolohea for the rest of the season, but Mitchell Moses will be forced to wait until after Friday week’s blockbuster against Brisbane to link with Parramatta.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal fellow departing star James Tedesco went out of his way to tell his Tigers teammates last week he planned to give it his all during his final season at the club.
Sydney Roosters-bound Tedesco even made a point of contacting every Tigers player involved with the representative teams to assure them he would go out in style, starting with Friday’s clash against South Sydney.
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Lolohea looks likely to land in Leichhardt. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)It has been a rollercoaster nine weeks for the Tigers since they last met Souths in round one, with three different coaches, three of their “big four” snubbing rich deals to sign elsewhere, and Tim Simona’s betting and drug revelations.
The signing speculation will continue today with Tigers officials expecting an answer from Lolohea and whether he will head to Tiger Town — where he is guaranteed a first-grade spot — or accept an 11th-hour offer from North Queensland.
Lolohea is expected to slot into five-eighth this season before taking Tedesco’s No.1 jersey next year.
Moses is desperate to join the Eels after last month signing a two-year deal, but the Tigers are keen for him to feature in their Suncorp Stadium road trip on Friday week.
Should he then be released, Moses’ first game for the Eels could be in round 12 against South Sydney, a team he will have met for a third time in three months.
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The Tigers are also expected to meet with Russell Packer’s management in the next 48 hours to thrash out the finer details of a four-year deal, while they are also keen to open negotiations with Will Hopoate, especially now the Bulldogs will struggle to retain him with the pending arrival of Kieran Foran.
If the Tigers miss out on Lolohea, they will not lure Te Maire Martin back to the club for the remainder of the season.
Elijah Taylor said it was a relief now it was known where Moses, Woods and Tedesco were all headed next year, and they were all determined to help the club end its finals exodus.
Moses and Tedesco looked in good spirits as they posed with a fan before training at Concord Oval.
Outgoing Tigers Moses and Tedesco want to leave in style. Photo: Phil HillyardSauaso Sue was in Samoan camp last week when Tedesco called him and told him he’d give his all in the club’s colours.
“It was really professional of Teddy and I respect him for it,’’ Sue said.
“He called me, I didn’t know who it was, but he told me how it was and he’d rip in the rest of the year.’’
Meanwhile, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, who was recruited from Penrith in recent weeks, is in line to make his debut in the centres after being named in the No. 21 jersey for the Souths clash.
But Jamal Idris’ season is over after he suffered an ACL injury at training over the weekend, despite attending Monday’s Indigenous Round launch and strangely telling journalists he was keen to play Friday.
Replies
We don't need to necessarily play him straight away. I say secure him ASAP before Tigers change their mind. Competition for a spot in the top 17 is a great luxury to have.
Once Thurston is fit there will be no spot for him in the halves, so hopefully that means he goes to the Tigers.
This is getting tedious. What a farcical circus. Im neither here nor there with Moses' release but this is ridiculous.
good lets see how it goes
Tigers still have to find a long term replacment for Tim Somona - Hoppa may play in centres if he goes to Tigers.
Likely the best spot for Hoppa if he goes there, which is likely as I doubt the dogs will have the coin for him. The biggest issue for any club wanting him will be if he insists on his no Sunday play condition.
Looking at the ditch teams profile on him he is listed in the following positions Five-eighth, Fullback, Centre, Halfback, Wing. Meaning he can fill any position in the backline, thing is he prefers the 1 or 6 spot, although he is a pretty fair winger as well, he just wants certainty in playing in the top grade and be able to call one position his own.
But his got option ill take it then other club gets you chea p er if dogs cant ke e p then hrlp hew club out for dogs stuff up
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