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Warriors waiting on Leutele NRL exemption

3 minute read

The Warriors want to snare former Cronulla centre Ricky Leutele under the same exemption that has Sonny Bill Williams poised to return to the Sydney Roosters.

The Warriors expect that any exemption for Sonny Bill Williams to play in the NRL will also apply to Ricky Leutele as they eye a short-term move for the former premiership winner.

Caretaker coach Todd Payten has targeted the services of long-serving Cronulla centre Leutele, who is on the books of the Toronto Wolfpack, alongside big-name star Williams.

With Toronto having pulled out of this year's coronavirus-hit Super League, Williams has been lured back by his former club the Sydney Roosters.

Williams will be clear to join the Roosters once ARL chairman Peter V'Landys follows through on his pledge to bend a law that states a player can't hold contracts with two clubs.

Samoan international Leutele, 30, is signed with the Wolfpack until 2021 so he would also need the same dispensation to join the Warriors for the final stages of their Australian stay.

"We've made some enquiries but he's not going to leave a really, really healthy contract if things aren't sorted properly in terms of rulings from the NRL," Payten said of Leutele.

"For him to come over to us, he'll get about five games in and not for a great amount of money, so I can understand where he's coming from.

"So we're just seeking some clarity around that. I've read a couple of headlines that they'll bend the rules for Sonny Bill, but we're just waiting for confirmation.

"I expect it'd be across the board."

Payten confirmed the Warriors are seeking two further loan players after losing five homesick squad members in the past month.

Ideally, he would have another wing and middle forward in his ranks along side current his loan players - winger George Jennings and front-rowers Daniel Alvaro and Jack Hetherington.

Parramatta pair Jennings and Alvaro joined the Warriors at their Terrigal base last Sunday and had made a good impression on Payten, who will field both players in Friday's game against the Wests Tigers at the SCG.