League: Warriors to offer Taumalolo $2m deal

The Warriors are set to offer Kiwi Jason Taumalolo a big-money deal. Photo / Getty

The Warriors have embarked on a trip to Townsville today in an attempt to lure Kiwis and Cowboys back-rower Jason Taumalolo with an offer to make him the highest-paid forward in the game.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported that Warriors coach Andrew McFadden and general manager of football Dean Bell will personally deliver the 21-year-old an offer for a two-year contract believed to be worth $1 million a season.

The intrigue deepened when McFadden was absent from this morning's scheduled media session at Mt Smart Stadium and no explanation was given for his non-attendance at the time. On top of that, chief executive Jim Doyle refused to discuss the Taumalolo bid.

"It's not appropriate for us to talk about our potential recruitment and we prefer on that particular topic to say that we are always in the market, we're always looking for players and only when we have actually made any signings that we would actually make any comments," Doyle said.

Taumalolo comes off contract at the end of the year and the destructive ball-runner has already attracted the interest of several clubs, including the Warriors, Sharks, Roosters, Manly and Parramatta.

The Warriors have been linked to several big-name players in recent months, including Kiwis and Manly playmaker Kieran Foran and NSW Origin and Dragons forward Trent Merrin, and are willing to pay top dollar to bolster their squad.

Taumalolo's agent Chris Orr today confirmed the Warriors' interest over the past week but refused to divulge details of their bid.

"All negotiations are confidential," Orr said. "But they are certainly interested and they're certainly putting their best foot forward.

"I don't know where the Telegraph got their information from but it's certainly not from me. It will be interesting to see what the Warriors say to that.

"But, yep, they certainly put an offer in and it is certainly a very good offer and Jason and his family are very much considering it."

Meanwhile, Merrin, another of the club's targets, has reportedly settled on the decision that this season will be his last at St George-Illawarra.

Off contract at the end of 2015, the Dragons are believed to have offered the 25-year-old $1.8 million to re-sign with the club for three more years.

However, Merrin's agent, Wayne Beavis, yesterday insisted his client's days in the famous Red V were numbered.

"100 per cent, it's over," Beavis told Fairfax Media. "He won't be at the Dragons next year."

The Warriors are believed to trail Penrith and Cronulla in their pursuit of Merrin's signature. He's expected to make a decision on his new club when he returns to Sydney early next week from the World Club Series in England.