Lomu back home at North Harbour

Jonah Lomu after announcing his signing with North Harbour. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Jonah Lomu is coming home 12 years after he first offered to play for North Harbour.

Back in those days as he contemplated a provincial career, Lomu told his sevens mentor Eric Rush to give him a ring and he would play for Harbour.

"He never called me and I ended up at Counties Manukau," Lomu chuckled yesterday as he spoke about his two-year NPC deal for an undisclosed amount with Harbour.

The pair are still working hard together as Rush assists Lomu get into shape for his scheduled return to rugby after his successful kidney transplant last July.

That momentous date is June 4 at Twickenham.

Lomu is unshakeable that his first game of rugby since an NPC trial for Wellington in August 2003, will be the June game at Twickenham to celebrate former England captain Martin Johnson's illustrious career.

"I want to play against the best, I want to go in with all guns blazing," he told the Weekend Herald. "It is just like my hero Muhammad Ali would do, it is all about testing yourself at the top, dropping myself in it."

So while yesterday's announcement was all about Lomu playing for Harbour, that will have to wait until at least August 13 when they host old foes Auckland at Albany.

There will not be any club rugby for Lomu before the June match but there were 12 clubs lining up yesterday to petition Harbour CEO Noel Coom and coach Allan Pollock for Lomu's services.

The great unknowns are how Lomu will handle the physical challenge and whether he can return to the standards which terrorised opponents around the world.

Fiona, his wife and manager, has no qualms about Lomu returning to the gladiatorial sport. If anything she feels the enforced layoff may prolong his career.

"I am incredibly excited and have no concerns. If he is at the bottom of a ruck with 10 guys on top of him I will be nervous but I would feel that anyway, I felt that before."

The 29-year-old Lomu is aching to play but knows he must stick to his conditioning schedule. He reckons he is sprinting as fast as he used to, his agility is returning and he has taken plenty of hits near his new kidney during kick-boxing and other training sessions.

"I have done a lot of running, not a lot of contact but I think there is more potency in terms of getting punched and kicked in training than some of the rugby.

"I remember everything about playing the game and what you have to put your mind through in terms of what you have to get through but outside of that I will find out. The hardest part will be getting back into the groove."

Suggest to Lomu that his enforced absence may have toughened the largest muscle in his 122kg frame, his brain, and he concurs.

"By a mile," he said, "especially as a lot of people don't realise that outside dialysis, having the operation and so forth I have had to learn to walk again then run and now sprint.

"I feel I will benefit from it because I've had a lot to think about and get through. Of course the fascination is going to be how I will go."

Harbour coach Pollock was convinced Lomu would be a huge asset to his squad.

"Three things about Jonah caught my eye," he said. "His attitude, his refusal to lie down against overwhelming odds, he was a wing and had great experience."

While Harbour liked those credentials they were in a battle with Wellington, Auckland and Counties to contract Lomu when he got his medical clearance.

Lomu decided he wanted to stay in the Auckland region to be close to his medical adviser. Auckland had two All Black wings, Harbour had lost the Gear brothers on transfer so it made sense to link up with that exciting young backline.

There was a proposal at one stage that Lomu play for Harbour and if things went well, he could be available for his former Hurricanes franchise for next year's Super 12.

That concept was rejected by the NZRFU but may be revisited. Lomu's latest contract does not have an NZRFU component.