Waller's choice: take money or win a jersey

Dion Waller admits the choice he faces in his rugby career is very simple - the money or the jersey.

The Hurricanes and Wellington lock confirmed yesterday that he had received a generous offer to play in Japan, as well as offers from Europe and within New Zealand.

But Waller, who will pack down against Northland in tomorrow night's NPC match in Whangarei, said he had not given up hope of playing for the All Blacks.

"I've got two options. Take the money and financially set my family up for life or settle down here [in New Zealand] with the family and try to go for the All Blacks and play in the World Cup."

Waller said he would make a decision once his wife, Sacha, gave birth to their first child in about six weeks.

"I haven't been thinking about my rugby future at all. I have to wait till the baby is born and see how Sacha feels because she might not want to move once the baby is born."

However, Waller admitted that the offer to play in Japan was a good one and fitted with his wife's skills as a Japanese language teacher at Newlands College.

A foundation player with the Hurricanes, Waller would be a big loss for the Super 12 franchise and Wellington, especially if Inoke Afeaki leaves too.

Afeaki would not discuss his future yesterday, but it is understood he has yet to receive an offer from Wellington.

A durable lock, Afeaki, 28, is Wellington's most experienced forward, with 84 games, second only to Jason O'Halloran, who has played 88, despite spending a few years playing in Japan.

Wellington's third lock, Milton Ngauamo, also comes off contract this year and has options to play overseas.

With all three undecided, it should be safe to presume that Wellington are working overtime to retain at least one or two of the locks, but little progress has been made.

In Waller's case, it is understood he was less than impressed with his offer from Wellington, especially in comparison to a generous offer he has since received from Auckland chief executive David White, the former Wellington chief executive.

However, Waller is unlikely to move to Auckland because the union is now close to signing Norm Maxwell.

The All Black lock was toying with shifting to Wellington, but is now expected to go to Auckland, which is part of the reason he was excluded from Canterbury's NPC squad.

Auckland are also tipped to sign Otago prop Kees Meeuws, while Canterbury's Ben Blair has been linked to the Blues because All Black Leon MacDonald will be the Crusaders fullback.

The Hurricanes will lose Filo Tiatia to Japan, and O'Halloran probably to Europe or Britain, but Waller said no matter how many players left, those who stayed had to get on with the job.

Waller has been on the fringe of the All Blacks for two years and the lure of the jersey remains strong. He felt he was still a contender to play at the 2003 World Cup and pointed to veterans John Eales (Australia) and Mark Andrews (South Africa) as examples of the durability of locks.

Meanwhile, in eight seasons of first-class rugby, new Wellington captain Tana Umaga has never played against Northland, and he has never played in Whangarei.

And a snappy training gallop indicated that when Umaga leads the Wellington team on to the field, the locals may wish he had not decided to break the habit of a lifetime. Just one pass went down in one of the better training efforts of the season.

Umaga seems, in the space of a week, to have pulled the team tight and produced a confidence previously missing.

- NZPA