Auckland, New Zealand, January 20, 2009 – World Cup champion halfback Nathan Fien will remain a Vodafone Warrior for the 2009 NRL season.
Chief executive Wayne Scurrah today confirmed the club had received a request from Fien’s manager last week to release the 29-year-old from the final season of his Vodafone Warriors contract so he could take up a three-year deal with the Huddersfield Giants in the English Super League.
Scurrah said the Giants’ offer had arisen after the British High Commission turned down former Canberra halfback Todd Carney’s application for a visa, leaving Huddersfield without a playmaker.
But he said Fien, who helped the Kiwis to their historic Rugby League World Cup win last November, would not be going, emphasising he had an important role to play in the 2009 season.
“We’ve had a meeting with Nathan and it was made clear to him by (coach) Ivan Cleary that he will be an integral player in the Vodafone Warriors’ plans this year,” said Scurrah.
“Nathan said he appreciated that and that he’ll do everything he can to help the side.”
Scurrah said Fien’s situation had changed for several reasons over the past few months.
“Earlier last season he had been told he wouldn’t be offered a new contract after his current one ran out at the end of the 2009 season,” he said.
“As Nathan has a young family, we thought it only fair to give him plenty of notice so he would have the best chance to secure his long-term future.
“We granted his request to consider other options but he later told us he wouldn’t be seeking a release. He made it clear to us that he would be fully committed to the Vodafone Warriors in 2009.
“This coincided with a huge lift in Nathan’s form both for the club and then for the Kiwis at the World Cup.
“At the same time, we have made an important decision, agreeing to give another halfback (Grant Rovelli) an early release from his contract to sign for North Queensland. That obviously had a significant impact on the shape of our roster for the 2009 season.”
Fien, who joined the Vodafone Warriors in 2005, is only four games short of joining the group of players who have appeared in 100 NRL matches for the club. And, with 91 games for the Cowboys from 2000-04, he’s just 13 games away from making his 200th career appearance.
Scurrah said there was a possibility Fien could stay with the Vodafone Warriors beyond 2009.
“We have told him we have an open mind about the possibility of a new contract to stay with the club,” he said.
“That position will be monitored and re-assessed during the season.”
Fien was one of three players to appear in each of the Vodafone Warriors’ 27 games last year. He also played in each of the Kiwis’ six Tests at the end of the last season, the one-off international against Tonga and then all five World Cup matches.
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