The great Jonah hunt appeared doomed to failure today amid growing signs that the famous New Zealand wing was set to stay with the All Blacks. Super League club Wakefield Trinity confirmed this morning that Jonah Lomu has rejected their £1million offer to play rugby league and, with the player due to return to New Zealand tomorrow, he is set to leave a posse of disappointed clubs in his wake.
Leeds Rhinos and Auckland Warriors had also failed to tempt the 24-year-old man mountain to try his hand at league, while Bristol headed a queue of union clubs anxious for the prized signature of the World Cup's record tryscorer. London Irish and Worcester had also recently spoken to the player's manager Phil Kingsley Jones in a bid to persuade the colossal winger to join them, but he looks increasingly likely to sign a new four-year deal with the NZRU.
Wakefield had secured sponsorship to cover a two-year deal for Lomu, including £500,000-a-year wages, which they claim would have enabled them to comply with salary cap regulations. Chairman Ted Richardson said, “Ours was the only serious offer from rugby league and, although we are keeping in touch, we think he is going to remain in rugby union. It is disappointing because his signing would have been a tremendous boost
to our game. But the search goes on”.
Lomu is the second All Black to reject a big-money offer to switch to league. Fellow winger Tana Umaga turned down Huddersfield-Sheffield last weekend to see out the remaining 12 months of his contract with the NZRU.
