Tiger_Bond
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- Jul 18, 2015
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**NRL transfer news: Luciano Leilua quits Wests Tigers to join North Queensland Cowboys**
Wests Tigers have been rocked as one of the club’s best players has asked for an immediate release to join an NRL rival.
Phil Rothfield
November 24, 2021 - 6:17PM
The Wests Tigers have suffered another massive recruitment blow, losing outstanding second-rower Luciano Leilua to the North Queensland Cowboys.
The giant edge forward has also asked for a release from the final year of his contract in 2022 to join the Cowboys in the new year.
Shattered Wests Tigers officials are planning to issue a press release on Thursday morning.
The Cowboys have used the money they saved after missing out on barnstorming Penrith Panthers forward Viliame Kikau to sign Leilua on a three-year deal.
The Daily Telegraph understands he will be paid $700,000 a season.
Whether Leilua is worth that much is debatable but the Cowboys officials were far more active to get the deal over the line.
It is known Leilua and his manager, Mario Tartak, have been disappointed with negotiations at the Wests Tigers for the last couple of months.
Little progress has been made since they began talks in August.
The signing of Isaah Papili'i from the Parramatta Eels last week on a three-year deal worth more than $600,000 a season was the catalyst for Leilua to look elsewhere.
He felt undervalued.
The Leilua camp insists coach Michael Maguire is not the problem despite the coach’s well publicised falling out with his brother Joey.
It has more to do with the fact Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe has not once spoken to Tartak about the negotiations since August.
Wests Tigers director of football Tim Sheens claims he was unaware of the move until contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday evening.
“We knew the Cowboys were negotiating,” Sheens said. “It sounded like a damn good offer. They had money stashed away for Kikau.”
The signing is a huge boost for the Cowboys.
At his best Leilua isn’t a long way behind Kikau.
He was the Wests Tigers’ best forward and second only to Adam Doueihi as the club’s best player.
The Cowboys will officially announce his signing on Thursday.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-transfer-news-luciano-leilua-quits-wests-tigers-to-join-north-queensland-cowboys/news-story/6a46aa5fd1005422d8114053e0ef02cf
Wests Tigers have been rocked as one of the club’s best players has asked for an immediate release to join an NRL rival.
Phil Rothfield
November 24, 2021 - 6:17PM
The Wests Tigers have suffered another massive recruitment blow, losing outstanding second-rower Luciano Leilua to the North Queensland Cowboys.
The giant edge forward has also asked for a release from the final year of his contract in 2022 to join the Cowboys in the new year.
Shattered Wests Tigers officials are planning to issue a press release on Thursday morning.
The Cowboys have used the money they saved after missing out on barnstorming Penrith Panthers forward Viliame Kikau to sign Leilua on a three-year deal.
The Daily Telegraph understands he will be paid $700,000 a season.
Whether Leilua is worth that much is debatable but the Cowboys officials were far more active to get the deal over the line.
It is known Leilua and his manager, Mario Tartak, have been disappointed with negotiations at the Wests Tigers for the last couple of months.
Little progress has been made since they began talks in August.
The signing of Isaah Papili'i from the Parramatta Eels last week on a three-year deal worth more than $600,000 a season was the catalyst for Leilua to look elsewhere.
He felt undervalued.
The Leilua camp insists coach Michael Maguire is not the problem despite the coach’s well publicised falling out with his brother Joey.
It has more to do with the fact Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe has not once spoken to Tartak about the negotiations since August.
Wests Tigers director of football Tim Sheens claims he was unaware of the move until contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday evening.
“We knew the Cowboys were negotiating,” Sheens said. “It sounded like a damn good offer. They had money stashed away for Kikau.”
The signing is a huge boost for the Cowboys.
At his best Leilua isn’t a long way behind Kikau.
He was the Wests Tigers’ best forward and second only to Adam Doueihi as the club’s best player.
The Cowboys will officially announce his signing on Thursday.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-transfer-news-luciano-leilua-quits-wests-tigers-to-join-north-queensland-cowboys/news-story/6a46aa5fd1005422d8114053e0ef02cf
