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The battle for talent - the Etene Nanai saga

By Online Editors

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the NRL club New Zealand Warriors are in a contract war over who has rights to one of the best prospects seen in a generation – Etene Nanai-Seturo. He has been described as a stronger version of Kalyn Ponga, a ‘can’t-miss’ prospect in either code.

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Nanai-Seturo grew up playing league but an opportunity to play 1st XV rugby with St Kentigern College changed his trajectory. The younger cousin of NRL superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, also a former schoolboy rugby star, quickly became a sensation for St Kentigern’s 1st XV in rugby at just 15-years-old.

Etene Nanai

Etene Nanai, a 15 y.o. who plays for St Kents 1st XV in Auckland is insane.. reminds me of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck a lil bit. Just put this mix together with footage from Auckland Rugby 1st XV TV and had to share. This left foot step is killer #leftfordead

Posted by Waterboy Rugby on Friday, 4 September 2015

In that year, the Warriors tabled a five-year contract to the minor – a common occurrence in the ‘race to the bottom’ to secure talent in the NRL. Nanai continued playing rugby for his school, before playing for the Chiefs under-18s and the New Zealand Schoolboys last year.

The legalities of that contract are now at the centre of a battle between New Zealand Rugby and the Warriors.

Last year Nanai’s lawyer sent a letter of resignation to the club on his behalf, which the Warriors believe is invalid.  The Warriors are furious at the situation and threatening legal action in order to stop Nanai playing for the New Zealand Sevens team, where he played in Sydney.

Warriors CEO Cameron George explained before the Sydney Sevens to NZME he would be exhausting all avenues.

“I don’t care who it is,” said George.

“I don’t care if it is New Zealand Rugby … it does not worry me in the slightest. We will do what we believe is right. We are not going to get pushed around by anyone, especially in this kind of situation.

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“We have got an obligation to look after the interests and rights of the Warriors, which we will do.”

The case is not a good look for either party and the agents involved. Despite having a contract with league agent Stan Martin, Nanai reportedly also has the services of rugby agent Simon Porter, complicating the matters further.

“He is still contracted to me for league and rugby,” Martin told Newshub.

“As far as playing for New Zealand Sevens is concerned, that’s an issue for the Warriors. I can’t stop him from playing rugby and as his agent, I wouldn’t.”

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Martin, however, admitted he has not heard from any rugby representative.

“Etene looks and appears to want to play rugby and has gone down that path. Rugby is still yet to talk to the Warriors and myself, so it’s a wait and see.

The Warriors attempted to upgrade the youngster on a deal worth an estimated $500,000 for three years to keep him at the club. He declined, leaving the Warriors to take up a team option in the original deal, in their favour, until season 2020.

Stan Martin seems to be on the outer with Nanai-Seturo. Martin partnered with Nanai-Seturo after he joined the Warriors, but his contract states he is his agent regardless of which code he plays which questions the involvement of Porter.

Porter’s agency Essentially is one the biggest in the rugby world, at one point handling the affairs of around 80% of the All Blacks squad. To say that they have strong ties to the NZRU is an understatement. Their accreditation as agents in rugby is decided by the Players Association, which is funded by the NZRU.

Porter has declined to comment to the media on the case, although New Zealand Rugby general manager rugby Neil Sorenson told Devlin Radio Sport that they have sought their own advice on the matter.

“Our advice, when we took him on, was that he was actually free to play,” Sorenson said.

“If we are told he isn’t free to play, then he won’t be part of the rugby environment.

“We are definitely not walking all over anybody. What needs sorting here is that Etene and his lawyers and his managers and his people need to sort out once and for all what contracts he’s signed and where.

“It is up to him and his team. They need to sort that really quickly. We would welcome him if he was available. They are just sorting through that now.

“It will all be sorted out in a couple of days. He will either be available for other sports or he has to stick with the Warriors. Whichever way that goes we will absolutely be comfortable with that.”

 

 

 

 

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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