Published: 11:03AM Monday April 26, 2004
Source: AAP
The New Zealand Warriors expect to hear from estranged forward Ali Lauitiiti on Monday, but an announcement on his playing future could still be a couple of days away.
Lauitiiti is due to meet with his managers Frank Endacott and Peter Brown this morning in Auckland to discuss his position.
Lauitiiti or his representatives are then expected to meet with Warriors chief executive Mick Watson at some stage on Monday.
"We've been informed by Ali's management that yes, that meeting will happen," a Warriors spokesman told AAP.
"Post their meeting with Ali we're expecting his management to contact us."
Lauitiiti was offered a release from his contract with the Warriors last week with the National Rugby League club claiming he'd indicated he was not committed to winning premierships.
The 2002 Dally M second-rower of the year and his wife Janina have spent the last few days considering 14 offers from clubs in Australia and the United Kingdom.
But Endacott said a decision on Lauitiiti's rugby league future would not be forthcoming on Monday.
"We would rather it was sooner than later, but I can't see anything happening within 48 hours," he told NZPA.
"First of all, we want to know which part of the world Ali wants to go to. We don't know that yet."
Endacott said there would be no immediate comment after his meeting with Lauitiiti.
"There's not going to be anything to say after we meet Ali. There's just too much work to be done," he said.
"We're no further ahead at this stage. There's a lot of talking to be done. We're not going to have anything today."
The Auckland-based Sunday News yesterday reported big-spending English club Wigan was well advanced in talks and favoured to win the race for Lauitiiti's services.
It quoted Wigan boss Maurice Lindsay as saying: "We are not a poor club. We have plenty of money and if we decide we want to sign someone, we usually get our man."
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