Several clubs are interested in Warriors star Lolohea but Doyle says he isn’t going anywhere
Doyle says youngster not going anywhere
Five NRL clubs are interested in acquiring New Zealand Warriors’ Tuimoala Lolohea following his lack of quality game time, but the club’s boss Jim Doyle said Lolohea is not going anywhere.
Foxsports reports that Lolohea’s manager is fielding interest from five other clubs over the weekend following the decision of Warriors coach Andrew McFadden not to give the youngster quality game time. Lolohea was recently demoted to the bench and only came out on the field at the 81st minute of the team’s loss to Manly on Saturday night.
Foxsports NRL reporter Lara Pitt said that “other clubs are ready to pounce.”
“His manager told me today that during that game on Saturday night, he got three text messages from three clubs asking if he wanted to leave the Warriors,” Pitt said. She added that five clubs are offering him a starting spot at six or one by the end of the weekend.
Pitt also said that McFadden contacted Lolohea’s manager to tell him that the youngster is still part of his plans. McFadden just couldn’t find a way to put him in the game.
Doyle responded on the Warriors website on Tuesday morning, saying that Lolohea “isn’t going anywhere.”
"Cappy (head coach Andrew McFadden) sees Tui's future in the halves alongside Shaun (Johnson),” he said. “That's one of the reasons why we agreed to let Thomas (Leuluai) go a year early.”
Doyle added that there are probably more than five teams interested in Lolohea. But he stressed that the youngster will definitely stay with the Warriors.
Lolohea is considered as one of the games brightest prospect. The gifted runner showed his potential as a utility early in the season when he was asked to cover fullback in place of the injured Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. He was also asked to take on playmaking duties during the absence of Johnson.
