1
TJ Perenara issues reply to Foster over rumoured NRL switch
By Sam Smith
All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara has had his say on events that occurred earlier this year, when reports emerged of a potential cross-code switch to NRL club, Sydney Roosters.
The 29-year-old Perenara was this week named in the All Blacks squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship, having spent the first half of the year on sabbatical in Japan with Top League club NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.
However, despite being named in Ian Foster's squad, the All Blacks head coach this week expressed his skepticism of the motives behind Perenara's actions.
Foster stated that he felt as though Perenara had used interest from potential NRL clubs as simply a negotiation tactic with New Zealand Rugby.
Certainly when news broke of the potential move, there seemed to be plenty of intrigue and interest from fans, pundits and players of both codes, particularly given Perenara's achievements in union - a Super Ruby champion, World Cup winner and one of Super Rugby's all time top try scorers.
Yet having eventually recommitted to NZR in May, Perenara found himself back among the All Blacks ranks after missing out on the Steinlager series against Tonga and Fiji.
Foster aired his thoughts earlier in the week stating that he "didn’t really know whether Perenara was serious with the NRL or not" and that he "wasn't personally over-impressed that [it had] played out publicly."
"That's all part of the negotiation ploy, I guess," Foster said.
Perenara however has rejected Foster's claims of 'leverage' explaining that time and considerable thought had gone into his eventual decision.
"We were genuine in all discussions, it wasn't a ploy," Perenara insisted. "The decision to come back to New Zealand was a really tough decision because of how close we were to going to the NRL and back to Japan."
Perenara will now have his mind firmly set on quickly integrating back into the All Blacks environment ahead of the first Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia on 7th August.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Ex-Ireland wing brands Six Nations champs 'not that good'
3
Hacjivah Dayimani exits SA following Springbok snub
4
Saracens statement: The outcome of Billy Vunipola investigation
5
Latest Comments
So if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
Go to comments