Sharks Pick Seu Seu

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday April 23, 2008

BRETT KEEBLE RUGBY LEAGUE

THE Newcastle Knights will formally terminate

their association with Terence Seu Seu today,

allowing the troubled hooker to resume his

National Rugby League career with Cronulla

on Sunday.

The 20-year-old former New Zealand A

representative, who was sacked by the

Knights last month after a series of serious

alcohol-related incidents, has been named

on the Sharks' first-grade bench for the game

against Wests Tigers at Toyota Stadium.

His manager, Mark Rowan, said last night

that Seu Seu had "got his head back on"

and was determined to make the most of his

second chance with the Sharks, who have

signed him for the rest of the season.

"He's on track. He's going good and I'm

really happy with him," said Rowan, who

would not rule out a reconciliation with

Newcastle some time in the future.

"Anything's a possibility. I don't say no

to anything, but at the moment we're just

concentrating on getting him on the straight

and narrow, and we're now lucky that he's

playing for Cronulla this Sunday, so it will be

interesting to see how he goes."

The Knights have been waiting for Seu Seu

to sign the necessary deed of termination so

they can forward his clearance to the NRL.

Knights operations manager Warren Smiles

said last night that Seu Seu had been granted

a conditional release last month to play for

Cronulla's feeder club, the Southern Sydney

Sharks, in the lower-tier Jim Beam Cup.

"But to go back to the NRL, he needs to sign

a deed of termination," Smiles said. "I haven't

seen that yet, but if his manager says he's

faxing it to us in the morning, we will forward

that on to the NRL as soon as we get it."

Seu Seu could not be contacted for

comment, but Rowan did not anticipate any

obstacles with the Knights or the NRL.

"He had a clearance to play at the Southern

Sharks, but there was the deed of termination

that I had to get him to sign, which he's signed

tonight, and I'll send that off tomorrow and

everything will be sweet," Rowan said.

"I've just got to send that back to the

Knights tomorrow, and that will be sorted,

so it's not a problem; there's no issue there.

He owed them a bit of money, but that's all

been paid."

Smiles said the Knights had advanced

Seu Seu some money while he was still

contracted to the club, and that had since

been repaid by the Southern Sydney Sharks.

"It's all just due process. We're not standing

in his way at all," Smiles said.

Continued Page 84

"We're just concentrating on

getting him on the straight and

narrow, and we're now lucky that

he's playing for Cronulla this

Sunday, so it will be interesting

to see how he goes."

- PLAYER MANAGER MARK ROWAN

SeuSeu back in NRL for Cronulla

From Page 88

"We wish him well. He

was terminated through

our code of conduct, but

we still rate him as a

footballer, so maybe the

change of scenery will

give him an opportunity

to improve himself and

hopefully it all works out

for him."

Seu Seu was being

groomed by the Knights

as an understudy and

eventual replacement for

NSWand former

Australian skipper Danny

Buderus, who will leave

Newcastle at the end of

this season to take up a

two-year contract with

world club champions

Leeds.

But after repeated

warnings for several

incidents, including an

assault charge still

before the courts, the

Knights sacked Seu Seu

on March 5.

He had been charged

with mid-range drinkdriving

two days earlier.

Seu Seu appeared in

Newcastle Local Court

on April 7 and was fined

$800 and had his licence

suspended for six

months after pleading

guilty to drink-driving

while using a hand-held

mobile phone.

According to police

fact sheets tendered to

the court, he was pulled

over for a random breath

test shortly after 4am on

March 3 in Bridges Road,

New Lambton, after

officers saw him using

the mobile phone.

He recorded a reading

of 0.145 but, as a

provisional driver, he was

subject to a bloodalcohol

limit of zero.

NZPA reports: New

Zealand Warriors coach

Ivan Cleary has

responded to his side's

heavy loss to North

Queensland by making

three changes for

Sunday's clash with the

Gold Coast.

The Warriors are in

need of urgent

improvement against the

Titans at Skilled Park

after their 48-20

thumping by the

Cowboys last weekend.

Veteran back-rower

Wairangi Koopu, winger

Michael Crockett and

centre Ryan Shortland

were recalled for the

match against the

competition leaders.

Shortland made way

for Jerome Ropati

against North

Queensland but comes

straight back into the

side for his third match

this year because Ropati

is sidelined again with a

hamstring injury.

Crockett, who scored

seven tries in 14

appearances last year,

comes in for Patrick Ah

Van, who suffered a

heavy knock against

North Queensland.

Koopu comes onto the

bench for Sonny Fai.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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