ADAM Blair's future at the Wests Tigers is again under the spotlight with the besieged club shopping the $600,000 a year player to rival clubs.
With the Tiger’s horror season over after last night’s match against the Cowboys in North Queensland, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal two interstate clubs have been approached about the possibility of signing Blair.
Blair has been the source of constant speculation since being recruited from premiership powerhouse the Storm with the 106kg forward widely criticised for failing to live up to his price tag.
Among those to slam the Kiwi international was Gordon Tallis, who accused Blair of not trying after a Tiger’s capitulation to the Sharks.
Blair has been linked to several rival clubs since joining the Tigers in 2012 and his future at Leichardt beyond this year is again in doubt with sections of the divided club looking to find him a new home.
The prospect of Blair being released by the club was first raised in May when Blair was linked to a Melbourne return with club sources confirming they would not stand in his way.
Blair is two years into a four-year contract reported to be worth as much as $600,000 a year.
Blair’s high salary and failure to stop the Wests Tigers from finishing the season only in front of the wooden spoon winning Eels again has the club considering his future in the black of gold.
The ball however is firmly in Blair’s court with the premiership-winning player having his four-year deal as a safety net.
While his form at the start of the year had him touted as one of the game’s worst ever signings, Blair, to his credit, has improved in the second half of the season with a switch from the edge to the middle prompting an increased workload.
The Northland Carvers junior has averaged 9.3 runs a game for 77 metres.
Tallis has been a savage critic of Blair’s this season with the Queensland hardman fuelling criticism when he challenged Blair to deliver on a promise he made to perform for the Tigers when he joined from the Melbourne Storm.
“I read an article where he was going to the Wests Tigers with him saying he was like a caged lion (at Melbourne) and that he could start playing football now," Tallis said.
“He sat on the left-hand edge outside Benji (during the Sharks game). He is big, he is strong, he has great footwork and an offload.
"He needs to get in the middle and give us something. He is one of the highest paid Wests Tigers players.
"He has asked for that money and if you are prepared to take that money, put out your hand and watch your bank account grow every week, you have to be prepared to put your body on the line.”
The Tigers have a chance to win just there eighth game of the season on Saturday night and avoid their second equal worst season on record.
They also managed to claim the tag of worst attacking Wests Tigers team in history with Mick Potter’s side failing to eclipse the previous worse when the club scored just 470 points in 2003.
The Tigers will now look to the future with Benji Marshall departing to the New Zealand rugby union.
Story link: http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/underperforming-wests-tigers-big-man-adam-blair-told-to-look-for-another-club/story-fndv39ms-1226714290424
With the Tiger’s horror season over after last night’s match against the Cowboys in North Queensland, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal two interstate clubs have been approached about the possibility of signing Blair.
Blair has been the source of constant speculation since being recruited from premiership powerhouse the Storm with the 106kg forward widely criticised for failing to live up to his price tag.
Among those to slam the Kiwi international was Gordon Tallis, who accused Blair of not trying after a Tiger’s capitulation to the Sharks.
Blair has been linked to several rival clubs since joining the Tigers in 2012 and his future at Leichardt beyond this year is again in doubt with sections of the divided club looking to find him a new home.
The prospect of Blair being released by the club was first raised in May when Blair was linked to a Melbourne return with club sources confirming they would not stand in his way.
Blair is two years into a four-year contract reported to be worth as much as $600,000 a year.
Blair’s high salary and failure to stop the Wests Tigers from finishing the season only in front of the wooden spoon winning Eels again has the club considering his future in the black of gold.
The ball however is firmly in Blair’s court with the premiership-winning player having his four-year deal as a safety net.
While his form at the start of the year had him touted as one of the game’s worst ever signings, Blair, to his credit, has improved in the second half of the season with a switch from the edge to the middle prompting an increased workload.
The Northland Carvers junior has averaged 9.3 runs a game for 77 metres.
Tallis has been a savage critic of Blair’s this season with the Queensland hardman fuelling criticism when he challenged Blair to deliver on a promise he made to perform for the Tigers when he joined from the Melbourne Storm.
“I read an article where he was going to the Wests Tigers with him saying he was like a caged lion (at Melbourne) and that he could start playing football now," Tallis said.
“He sat on the left-hand edge outside Benji (during the Sharks game). He is big, he is strong, he has great footwork and an offload.
"He needs to get in the middle and give us something. He is one of the highest paid Wests Tigers players.
"He has asked for that money and if you are prepared to take that money, put out your hand and watch your bank account grow every week, you have to be prepared to put your body on the line.”
The Tigers have a chance to win just there eighth game of the season on Saturday night and avoid their second equal worst season on record.
They also managed to claim the tag of worst attacking Wests Tigers team in history with Mick Potter’s side failing to eclipse the previous worse when the club scored just 470 points in 2003.
The Tigers will now look to the future with Benji Marshall departing to the New Zealand rugby union.
Story link: http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/underperforming-wests-tigers-big-man-adam-blair-told-to-look-for-another-club/story-fndv39ms-1226714290424
