League: Magical Ali offers hand to Warriors

Ali Lauiti'iti in action against Manly Warringah Sea Eagles as a Warrior, back in 2003. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Ali Lauitiiti wants to return to the Warriors. He says it partly in jest, but the 36-year-old is on the lookout for a club and will consider all possibilities for next season.

"If the Warriors need any players, I'll be willing to put my hand up ... we'll see how it goes," he says with a laugh. "At the moment I am a free agent. Let's see if there are some teams out there that will want an old fella. I'm still keen to keep going."

Lauitiiti is standing inside the main Headingley grandstand that dates back to 1936. The Kiwis had beaten Leeds 34-16 here an hour earlier. But outside, Leeds fans are chanting his name, after he was honoured, along with other Rhinos heroes like Adrian Morley, Kylie Leuluai and Kevin Sinfield, with a special presentation after the match.

It's an extraordinary scenario. Alaimatagi Lauitiiti arrived more than a decade ago - after a dramatic exit from the Warriors early in the 2004 season - and is still here.

"I never thought I would be here for so long," he says. "I had got married in 2003 and when I left the Warriors I was going to stay home and get a nine-to-five job.

"But then my wife said you should give [England] a go.

"I had been here before [in 2002 for the Kiwis tour] and I thought, 'It's too far away, it's too cold, it's a new culture.' But it was the best decision of my life to come over and it made me grow up."

Lauitiiti has carved a special niche here. He played during the Super League's glory years, when it was awash with cash and attracted some of the biggest names in the sport.

He won five Super League titles with Leed and averaged a try nearly every three games across 200 appearances, then spent three seasons at Wakefield (94 games, 20 tries).

It has been a glorious career here, but does he regret leaving the NRL so young at just 24?

"Not really," Lauitiiti says. "I did my time there and just playing over 100 NRL games is an opportunity. "

At the time, though, it seemed unfortunate. Lauitiiti was christened the Michael Jordan of league at his peak from 2001 to 2003, a huge man with pace, a step and an unparalleled ability to deliver freakish one-handed offloads.

He helped the Warriors get to a grand final and a preliminary final in consecutive seasons and if the Warriors had a more stable CEO at the time, he may have delivered a few more years of magic.

"For me it was my time to leave," says Lauitiiti of his departure. "There were no hard feelings.

"I'm always a supporter of the club and it is what it is. It was a good move for me and was a blessing in disguise."

Yesterday, Lauitiiti rolled back the years, ranging out wide to deliver some trademark offloads and rampaging runs. Most of the Kiwis pack were teenagers when he was at his peak but he didn't look out of place and it feels like Lauitiiti was a trailblazer with his style, with four or five forwards in this current Kiwis team with a similar skill-set.

"I don't know about that," Lauitiiti says. "Coming out of South Auckland, there have always been heaps of youngsters that can do the same thing. It's always been in our blood.

"And these guys today, they are much better than me."

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