The Serve

Lote Tuqiri takes the hard road and pockets $5mil

Lote Tuqiri says he listened to Wayne Bennett. That’s nice. Lote Tuqiri says he wanted to stay loyal. Must be tough being so loyal when there is a $5 million carrot not to switch.

 

Lote says ‘he was so stressed’. He had a right to, given his decision between rugby and Souths was a career contract, the contract that would determine his families lifestyle for a long time. Sounds like an excerpt from Jerry McGuire. Well, whose fault is it that it became so stressful, Lote? Was it not Lote’s doing that this sad chronicle of sport stretched out for five months? Was it not Lote’s doing that his story plastered back page after back page, thanks to shameless stunts like turning up to Erskineville Oval with cameras in tow? Please Lote, do not tell us about your stress.Tuqiri got what he wanted, which seems to be nothing more than an endless pile of cash. He stays in a sport in which he is obviously less passionate about. The mere fact that a player needs his employer to offer more than a prospective poacher speaks volumes.Lote may have wanted to stay in rugby the whole time anyway, with his tactics elevating his pay check considerably. Rugby didn’t want to lose in the battle of egos, so they wrote a cheque. Again. Lote and his manager have perhaps played this perfectly.

OK, he’s rich, but has this episode done Lote’s reputation any good? We know he’s a tremendous footballer, but for the short term at least, he’ll be seen as money hungry and nothing more.

Hope that’s not too stressful.