Three clubs look to lure Tevaga from Mt Smart Strap in for fun ride seven years in making
The Warriors are in talks to re-sign offcontract forward Jazz Tevaga but face competition, with three rival NRL clubs also chasing his services for next year.
The tough-as-nails loose forward or hooker is keen to remain at the Warriors but recently knocked back the club’s initial offer and decided to test his market value.
Negotiations are continuing between the Warriors and Tevaga’s agent but three mystery clubs — including one Sydney outfit — have also expressed interest but are yet to table formal offers.
The 22-year-old’s primary focus remains on continuing his good form but hopes the situation can be resolved sooner rather than later.
“I would love to stay at the Warriors but if things don’t work out, I might have to make the move across the ditch,” said Tevaga.
“It’s up in the air. If it happens [in the next couple of weeks], it happens. I’m just trying to concentrate on my footy and play well and hopefully carry that on into the finals and I can sort that contract stuff out later.”
Tevaga has enjoyed a strong season, making 18 appearances predominantly off the bench as a loose forward replacement, with one start in the No 9 jersey filling in for injured hooker Issac Luke.
The Christchurch-born product has impressed with his high workrate and tireless tackling and adds another dimension to the Warriors attack, with his footwork, ball-playing and offloading ability making him a handful for opposition defenders.
Tevaga is happy to continue juggling both the dummy half and middle forward roles but admits he wants the opportunity to establish himself as a first-choice lock longterm.
“I still want to work on that hooker role because it adds a lot of value to my game but ideally my goal is to be a 13,” he said.
“With Simon [Mannering] retiring at the end of the year, and the following year [Adam] Blairy will be another year older, so [it depends] where my best opportunity [might be].”
The Warriors don’t have much money to spend, with little room left under the salary cap, and are still in talks to re-sign Luke for next season.
Tevaga accepts the club have several big-name players on their books but hopes they can provide the extra incentive for him to remain in Auckland.
“The club offered me a contract that I turned down initially. The coin wasn’t where I wanted it to be but we’ve got a lot of big signings at the club and they take up a big portion of the salary cap.
“There are a lot of things to weigh up at the moment. I’m just trying to focus on my game week to week and not think about that stuff but it’s pretty hard not to.”
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney is a big fan of Tevaga and general manager of football Brian Smith is confident the club will re-sign him.
“[Recruitment manager] Peter [O’Sullivan] has been in some pretty heavy dealings with his manager over the last few weeks but it will hopefully come to a conclusion very soon,” said Smith.
“The fact negotiations are still going on suggests there is still some middle ground there.
“Stephen is very hopeful as well that we can not only reach an agreement, but do it pretty quickly.
“I know Jazz is keen to stay and we’re keen to keep him again and it’s just a matter of establishing that price.” A collective sigh of relief echoed around Penrose last night after the Warriors slammed the door on seven years of mediocrity with a terrific 36-16 NRL win over Penrith.
The club’s long-suffering supporters can sleep easy after their side secured their first finals appearance since 2011 after treading a top eight tightrope many expected them to fall from throughout the second half of the season.
The confident nature of their sixtries-to-three victory at Mt Smart Stadium now gives them a springboard to launch into next week’s final round clash against Canberra and keep alive hope of improving their ladder position.
The result also raises expectations they will replicate that precision and intensity and keep the momentum rolling to ensure retiring former captain Simon Mannering gets the hero’s farewell he so richly deserves in what may be his last appearance in Auckland against the Raiders next Friday.
But regardless of what happens from here, the Stephen Kearneycoached side have already earned a pass mark for defying all expectations and breaking their finals drought when most critics had them fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.
“We’ll enjoy this moment and then focus on the improvements and what we did well and need to improve on for next week and that’s what we’ve done all year,” said Kearney. “It’s just making sure we prepare well for a big performance next Friday. It’s a significant week for our most decorated player but I’m sure he’d just want everyone to do their jobs and that’s what we’ll focus on.”
The good news is they can get even better if they can bottle the attitude and intensity that marked their defence and the direct style that saw them power through the Panthers in the middle and burn them with skill and speed out wide.
Front rower Agnatius Paasi and James Gavet laid the platform early on and Tohu Harris was dynamic in his return from seven weeks out and showed no ill effects from consecutive knee operations.
Halfback Shaun Johnson took control of the game to continue what has been his best season since 2015, when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that also killed the side’s finals prospects.
Right wing David Fusitu’a was also at his best in scoring a hat-trick of tries to cap an all-round impressive team display.
The victory and impressive showing from fill-in five-eighth Mason Lino also gives them some welcome breathing space regarding injured playmaker Blake Green, who is racing to recover from a calf muscle injury to be fit to face Canberra. Kearney may be tempted to give the 31-year-old another week to recover although Green will desperately want to be on the pitch for his good friend Mannering’s Mt Smart swansong.
Recalled centre Peta Hiku also made a strong contribution on the right edge and it remains to be seen whether Gerard Beale will be right to return from a hamstring strain.
“We’ll see how [Green] pulls up,” said Kearney. “One thing Blake doesn’t like doing is sitting on the sidelines. He was pestering me in the box there but we’ll give him every opportunity to try and be right for next Friday.”
Consistency has eluded them for much of the second half of their campaign but this showing may just provide the surge in belief needed for them to take their play to the next level in the coming weeks.
“It will just give the boys that edge and it was good just to back ourselves and trust in what we do,” said captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. “Last week’s defence against the Bulldogs, that wasn’t us, and [against the Panthers] we showed what we do works, so just to help the boys get confidence and believe that what we do works.
“It’s going to be good just to enjoy this moment and we’re happy with all the hard work we’ve put in through the year. This moment feels good but we’ll get ready for the next one.”
It should also dissolve the ingrained and somewhat understandable pessimism and distrust of their ability among the wider New Zealand sporting public and ensure they ride a wave of support and goodwill.
Strap yourselves in, because this Warriors rollercoaster is finally feeling like fun again.