The West Tigers have continued to turnover their playing roster by signing former New Zealand Test prop and former Sydney Rooster Jason Cayless.
The Tigers forward pack has been one of their major problems in recent years, it has provided little impact against the NRL’s big guns, so Cayless will be a welcome addition to their squad.
Cayless was one player I was not happy to see head over to the UK so early in his career. He was one of the better front rowers in the game when he left, with good size and great mobility.
He played a few seasons for St Helens but his style of game was never really appreciated in Super League and like many top class players, its like putting a state of the art cooling system into a Combi Van, it can be working at its very best, but its never going to make any noticeable difference to the way the van drives.
It will probably take a while for Cayless to get back up to speed, but he’ll do well on his return. I for one am glad to see him back.
As for Lote Tuqiri, it seems he wants to have his cake and eat it too.
Tuqiri lives in the Balmain area and with a young family he would like to play closer to home (As opposed to playing in a hotel room in Canberra).
Its seems Tuqiri will play for the Tigers during the NRL season and in the off season head over to Japan and play Rugby Union.
It makes you wonder a bit about the priorities of a player who wants an arrangement like that.
Tuqiri wasted what would have been a magnificent Rugby League career playing a game he didn’t like, Rugby Union. He played in terrible teams with terrible players and at the end of the day the thanks he got was a very public kicking to the curb by the ARU.
Now, on wanting to come back, he still is desperate to make as much money as he can. So much so that he will live in Japan in the off season and play park football for the extra coin.
I have to say, I wouldn’t want him at my club. Going on 30 years old, having not played a decent game of football since 2002 and with his mind on off season moves to Japan?
No thanks!
With all the amazing young players in the Toyota Cup these days who would kill to play in the NRL, who are younger, fitter, faster and stronger than Tuqiri, I just wouldn’t waste my time.
