Pulu rushes back to NZ after pregnant wife's car crash
Warriors prop Leivaha Pulu is making his way back to New Zealand after his pregnant wife was involved in a car crash.
Pulu has become the first player to leave the Warriors’ NRL team base in Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast as he heads home to be with wife Tolina in Auckland.
She has been given the all-clear by doctors, the club confirmed, while Pulu will go into isolation for 14 days when he arrives home.
“Thankfully, Tolina and baby are fine but Vaha naturally wanted to be as close to his family as possible at this time,” Warriors CEO Cameron George said yesterday.
“Hopefully he’ll be able to return to Terrigal later in the month if our families are given an exemption for them to enter Australia.”
The Warriors have been given clearance by the NRL to sign another loan player as cover after Pulu’s departure. Having already signed Jack Hetherington on loan from the Panthers earlier this week, George confirmed they were now seeking another forward for the upcoming weeks.
Pulu’s decision to leave comes after the team on Wednesday revealed they had given the NRL a 23-day ultimatum to sort out exemptions for families to join the players in Australia or face a player boycott which could jeopardise the rest of the season.
Warriors stars David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo and Agnatius Paasi have expressed their desire to return to New Zealand to be with their families, but have agreed to stay until their July 19 match against the Sharks.
Interim coach Todd Payten said
Thankfully, Tolina and baby are fine but Vaha naturally wanted to be as close to his family as possible at this time.
Warriors CEO Cameron George
the club are already lining up potential replacements for players who intend to leave if the NRL family exemptions aren’t granted.
“There’s obviously a plan around those three guys,” Payten said.
“It would be idiotic just to leave it until they go and then be caught with our pants down.
“There is a list, it is being looked at daily, and if we haven’t heard anything within a week, I guess we’ll push down that path a bit further.”
Paasi has four young children in Auckland.
Maumalo is also a young father and Fusitu’a’s partner is expecting their first child.
George says he is still talking with the club’s owners about whether the players will be paid if they are no longer playing.
“We have very sensible owners who are genuine, caring people . . . the players will be fully briefed on what it means one way or other,” he said.
“This isn’t the boys’ fault. We’re hoping and praying every day that we’ll get the families and the players reunited ASAP.”
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said he is hopeful that a transtasman bubble will be established soon to help ease the burden of the Warriors’ two-month stay away from home.