Coach warns poachers: hands off our players

By CHRIS RATTUE

Counties Manukau coach Andrew Talaimanu has warned Canterbury to stop trying to grab one of his rising young stars, and says big unions should take a look at the way they are running their affairs.

Talaimanu is sick of major unions such as Canterbury, with their natural financial advantages plus the added bonus of being Super 12 bases, preying on smaller provinces.

He said a Canterbury official had phoned his New Zealand under-19 centre Casey Laulala just last week in an effort to lure him away.

While Super 12 bases continually denied it, they used their ability to fast track players' Super 12 chances as a major lure to signing them to their NPC teams, he said.

"I understand the nature of the game but it is pretty poor form ringing him in the middle of the season.

"The NPC was not supposed to be a competition where teams were half full of players who have never played club rugby in the province. We will just have to be more vigilant.

"We have good spirit and some good local players but we're run on a shoestring budget. It's a good effort that we're even in division one.

"We are only the 14th biggest union in the country yet we're exposed to this sort of thing all the time. The scales aren't exactly even.

"Why on earth can't a province as big as Canterbury produce their own players? Teams like us, Northland, Taranaki and Southland are always up against it.

"I'm going to pursue this matter about Casey. It's just not on in my view."

After financial negotiations broke down, Samoan test prop Polo Asi has been omitted from the NPC squad. Asi told Counties Manukau he was looking for a club in Europe where he believed he could earn more.

Counties Manukau: Loki Crichton, Patrick Petelo, Salesi Moimoi, Mark Lawson, Casey Laulala, Gus Leger, David Wood, Peter Epati, Phil Lewis, Blair Feeney, Danny Lee (c); Dion Kingi, George Stowers, Koula Tukino, Hare Makiri, Luke Mealamu, Kristian Ormsby, Ramon Lindsay, Ted Carew, Dave Stewart, Grant Henson, John Akurangi.