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Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been named in a preliminary New Zealand squad for the Pacific Championships – a move which could potentially wipe out his mammoth suspension and free him for the Roosters’ Las Vegas season opener next year.
Waerea-Hargreaves, who missed the Roosters’ finals campaign after being banned for seven matches due to two separate offences in a spiteful round-26 clash against Wests Tigers, will wait on a ruling from NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew on when he can return to the field.
While it was considered unlikely Waerea-Hargreaves would have been selected even if he wasn’t banned given the Kiwis’ forward depth, the New Zealand Rugby League has submitted the enforcer’s name to tournament officials as part of a 30-man preliminary squad.
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire is spoilt for choice when it comes to front-rowers, with the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, Joseph Tapine and Nelson Asofa-Solomona competing for the position. But Waerea-Hargreaves’ experience also makes him an attractive option for last year’s World Cup semi-finalists.
Waerea-Hargreaves is no chance of featuring in the Pacific Championships Tests against Australia and Samoa, because he will be serving his NRL suspension, but if New Zealand make the final he could submit to have the three matches counted towards his ban.
New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters confirmed Waerea-Hargreaves’ name was on the extended list of players submitted to tournament organisers.
The veteran was also part of their World Cup squad last year despite missing the opening two games of the tournament through another NRL suspension.
“If he wasn’t suspended, New Zealand would have selected him, and he would have been in our squad,” Peters said.
That could turn out to be a major bonus for Trent Robinson and the Roosters, who bowed out of the competition after a controversial loss to the Storm at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Waerea-Hargreaves has now served three of his seven games and the rest could be counted through representative fixtures with New Zealand and the Maori All-Stars, which the veteran prop was being lined up to play for this year before withdrawing through injury.
Bellew will have the final decision on which matches count towards Waerea-Hargreaves’ suspension.
Waerea-Hargreaves needs only two more matches to reach the 300-game milestone in the NRL and was a huge loss for the Roosters when he was wiped out for a high shot on Api Koroisau and striking Stefano Utoikamanu in the penultimate round win over the Tigers.
The Roosters will travel to the United States to open next season against the Brisbane Broncos as part of the NRL’s five-year plan to take matches to Las Vegas. South Sydney and Manly will play the other game of the double-header.
The Roosters offered Waerea-Hargreaves a one-year contract extension for 2024, which is expected to be his last in the NRL after a decorated career which began in 2009.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/las...17-p5e5b6.html
Waerea-Hargreaves, who missed the Roosters’ finals campaign after being banned for seven matches due to two separate offences in a spiteful round-26 clash against Wests Tigers, will wait on a ruling from NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew on when he can return to the field.
While it was considered unlikely Waerea-Hargreaves would have been selected even if he wasn’t banned given the Kiwis’ forward depth, the New Zealand Rugby League has submitted the enforcer’s name to tournament officials as part of a 30-man preliminary squad.
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire is spoilt for choice when it comes to front-rowers, with the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, Joseph Tapine and Nelson Asofa-Solomona competing for the position. But Waerea-Hargreaves’ experience also makes him an attractive option for last year’s World Cup semi-finalists.
Waerea-Hargreaves is no chance of featuring in the Pacific Championships Tests against Australia and Samoa, because he will be serving his NRL suspension, but if New Zealand make the final he could submit to have the three matches counted towards his ban.
New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters confirmed Waerea-Hargreaves’ name was on the extended list of players submitted to tournament organisers.
The veteran was also part of their World Cup squad last year despite missing the opening two games of the tournament through another NRL suspension.
“If he wasn’t suspended, New Zealand would have selected him, and he would have been in our squad,” Peters said.
That could turn out to be a major bonus for Trent Robinson and the Roosters, who bowed out of the competition after a controversial loss to the Storm at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Waerea-Hargreaves has now served three of his seven games and the rest could be counted through representative fixtures with New Zealand and the Maori All-Stars, which the veteran prop was being lined up to play for this year before withdrawing through injury.
Bellew will have the final decision on which matches count towards Waerea-Hargreaves’ suspension.
Waerea-Hargreaves needs only two more matches to reach the 300-game milestone in the NRL and was a huge loss for the Roosters when he was wiped out for a high shot on Api Koroisau and striking Stefano Utoikamanu in the penultimate round win over the Tigers.
The Roosters will travel to the United States to open next season against the Brisbane Broncos as part of the NRL’s five-year plan to take matches to Las Vegas. South Sydney and Manly will play the other game of the double-header.
The Roosters offered Waerea-Hargreaves a one-year contract extension for 2024, which is expected to be his last in the NRL after a decorated career which began in 2009.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/las...17-p5e5b6.html
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