Hands-off approach to Lomu defended

The New Zealand Rugby Union has defended its hands-off role in Jonah Lomu's efforts to return to full health and resurrect his rugby career.

Wellington-based player agent Rob Brady suggested to the Herald yesterday the NZRFU could be regretting its decision to sever ties with the game's biggest name about 18 months ago.

Brady also accused the NZRFU of leaving Lomu, 29, to his own resources in his attempt to return to rugby, saying it was "a little disappointing".

The former Wellington, Hurricanes and All Blacks wing terminated his contract with the union in 2003, angry at the amount of money it had offered him as he battled a kidney illness that saw him undergo a transplant last year.

Lomu has made steady progress in his recovery and remains convinced he can play rugby again - with a return to the All Blacks his ultimate goal.

NZRFU deputy chief executive Steve Tew has confirmed they will offer Lomu a contract when he is fit enough to play again.

However, he would not discuss any potential details and scoffed at suggestions that Lomu could earn up to $700,000 if he did make a successful comeback.

"What I would say is that in all the speculation about Jonah's contract - when he was playing and now - I'm still yet to read an accurate figure," Tew said.

Tew also hit back at suggestions the NZRFU had abandoned the star in his time of need.

Brady, who represents All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, questioned why the NZRFU had not maintained a commercial relationship with the veteran of 63 tests, saying it "may have been the right thing to do".

"You would have thought [the NZRFU] would have offered him a role, as an ambassador or something, on some sort of contract to maintain a relationship with him," Brady said.

Similar sentiments have been widely expressed privately and publicly throughout New Zealand rugby since Lomu's split with the NZRFU in 2003.

But Tew suggested the NZRFU had deliberately taken a back seat role.

"The best thing we could have done for Jonah was to leave him to concentrate on his rehabilitation," he said.

Tew said the seriousness of Lomu's illness, his treatment before the transplant, and the operation itself, were enough for anyone to deal with.

"The last thing Jonah needed was to be running around doing things for us because we were paying him money. His No 1 focus had to be on getting well."

Tew confirmed there were informal talks with Lomu and his wife, Fiona, who is also his manager, at the national sevens tournament in Queenstown last weekend.

However, any serious discussions about a return to rugby and a new contract were at least six weeks away.

That contract is expected to be part of the collective agreement which would be new ground for Lomu, who was previously employed as a contractor with a guaranteed income. Any new deal under the collective would stipulate he would be paid only when he played.

- NZPA