Woolliams ups and leaves Manawatu¯
Promising Manawatu¯ lock Mickey Woolliams dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he informed the Turbos he was off to Counties Manukau on a full one-year contract.
The 23-year-old Manawatu¯ Academy player has been doing rugby development work with the Manawatu¯ Rugby Union, was on a Turbos development contract and was being touted as one for the future
He played for the team as recently as Sunday at Kimbolton in a game attended by spies from Counties.
Woolliams was to be a Manawatu¯ loan player to Whanganui in the Heartland competition this year and would have been almost certain to be fully contracted to Manawatu¯ next season, but he hasn’t waited.
This year the Turbos have chosen to go with Hurricane Liam Mitchell, Tom Hughes and with the experienced Fraser Stone as their locks and that’s as far as their budget extended.
Woolliams wasn’t available for comment, but he now has an agent who would have shopped his name around.
Turbos coach Peter Russell said signing extra players in positions can see them holding tackle bags through the NPC season and could also send the union bankrupt.
‘‘We can’t offer anything like that because we’ve got our locks sorted,’’ he said. ‘‘Once you go you’re master of your own destiny.
‘‘At the end of the day he thought he could develop up there quicker with game time.’’
Russell said it ‘‘was a bit of a shock’’ when Woolliams told him he was off to Counties immediately.
‘‘It was done outside our knowledge and was done very quickly. We’ve done all we can. He’s ambitious and you can’t hold everyone.’’
Russell said Woolliams had been developing well and the Turbos had been urging him to nail his nittygritty set-piece roles and his physicality. He came into rugby later than most after being a basketballer.
Manawatu¯ and Varsity can only hope the Massey University graduate might return after a year. His is not a loan deal, so he can’t be recalled.
Counties were struggling for locks and because of the shortage of middle rowers, there was some interest from the Chiefs and the Blues, but not from the Hurricanes, who have their quota of locks.
‘‘Mickey has done a good job to get into that environment,’’ Russell said.
Meanwhile, Hughes is a week away from a full recovery from his knee injury.
All Blacks Nehe Milner-skudder and Jackson Hemopo have been with the Turbos this week. Milnerskudder is to go to Auckland for his 10-week check-up for his shoulder injury, five weeks after having a sling removed. While in rehab he is the team’s technical adviser, working with the outside backs.
Hemopo is strengthening his shoulder before joining the All Blacks while Ma¯ ori All Blacks Otere Black and Rob Thompson have joined the squad. Canterbury prop Samuela Tawake scrummaged on Wednesday following his knee injury and midfield back James Tofa was signed to a full contract.