Rabaul: Boom youngster Sione Mata'utia may have agreed to terms with the Bulldogs but the Newcastle outside back has no intention of leaving the Knights.
In his first interview since it was revealed Sione and his brothers Pat and Chanel would join the Bulldogs on a long-term deal from 2016, Mata'utia left little doubt where he saw his long-term future.
"I'm a Newcastle boy through and through," Mata'utia said. "I was born in Sydney but I grew up in Newcastle since I was five.
"[The situation] hasn't been too good. I'm doing some negotiating and we're getting through it. My manager and Matt Gidley [Knights chief executive] are doing a bit of talking. They want to get it done.
Mata'utia said he had agreed to terms with the Bulldogs but was yet to sign a contract. Under NRL rules, he has until round 13 to back out of his Canterbury deal.
"We've spoken to them but we haven't signed any papers," Mata'utia said. "My manager is close with the Bulldogs committee. My three older brothers played for the Bankstown Cougars as young boys. They consider us as locals. Most of our family is from Sydney and we've known a couple of the board members for a while now.
"Coming off [contract] next year, they threw in an offer straight away.
"It's stressful at times. It's part of being a footy player. You have to take it all on board. It's a big learning curve to me. How I approach this situation will make me a better footballer and person. We'll get it sorted."
While Sione is adamant he wants to remain a Knight, the family could be further split. The Newcastle trio want to stay together and are keen to reunite with older brother Peter, who has a year to run on his contract with St George Illawarra.
"We've all sat down as a family and had a talk. We've decided we want to stay in Newcastle but if not we'll all go our own ways," Mata'utia said.
Only the NRL's age restrictions kept Mata'utia from making his debut before his 18th birthday. He finished the season with seven tries from as many games, including three against the Warriors.
"It all happened pretty fast," Mata'utia said. "It was a dream come true to get my debut and to do it with my brother [Chanel] is something I never thought I would do. I've had time to stop and rewind and think about everything.
"I've watched [my first try] a couple of times, I won't lie. I've even shown a couple of people."
Mata'utia will get his first taste of representative football when he plays for the Prime Minister's XIII against PNG on Sunday. Mata'utia has been taken aback by the support from the locals.
"The love for rugby is something I have never seen before, coming from the airport and seeing it packed out just to get a glimpse," Mata'utia said.
"Their love of footy has surprised me. It's awesome. They surprised me about how many players they knew. They knew the whole team. I'm really loving it."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...y-bulldogs-20141011-114qg3.html#ixzz3FqSzFs6c
In his first interview since it was revealed Sione and his brothers Pat and Chanel would join the Bulldogs on a long-term deal from 2016, Mata'utia left little doubt where he saw his long-term future.
"I'm a Newcastle boy through and through," Mata'utia said. "I was born in Sydney but I grew up in Newcastle since I was five.
"[The situation] hasn't been too good. I'm doing some negotiating and we're getting through it. My manager and Matt Gidley [Knights chief executive] are doing a bit of talking. They want to get it done.
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"There's been a bit of pressure and a bit of media. I thought I would lay low for a bit and what a better way to do it then to get to PNG and get away from it all. Our first option is to stay at Newcastle and whatever is best for the family."Mata'utia said he had agreed to terms with the Bulldogs but was yet to sign a contract. Under NRL rules, he has until round 13 to back out of his Canterbury deal.
"We've spoken to them but we haven't signed any papers," Mata'utia said. "My manager is close with the Bulldogs committee. My three older brothers played for the Bankstown Cougars as young boys. They consider us as locals. Most of our family is from Sydney and we've known a couple of the board members for a while now.
"Coming off [contract] next year, they threw in an offer straight away.
"It's stressful at times. It's part of being a footy player. You have to take it all on board. It's a big learning curve to me. How I approach this situation will make me a better footballer and person. We'll get it sorted."
While Sione is adamant he wants to remain a Knight, the family could be further split. The Newcastle trio want to stay together and are keen to reunite with older brother Peter, who has a year to run on his contract with St George Illawarra.
"We've all sat down as a family and had a talk. We've decided we want to stay in Newcastle but if not we'll all go our own ways," Mata'utia said.
Only the NRL's age restrictions kept Mata'utia from making his debut before his 18th birthday. He finished the season with seven tries from as many games, including three against the Warriors.
"It all happened pretty fast," Mata'utia said. "It was a dream come true to get my debut and to do it with my brother [Chanel] is something I never thought I would do. I've had time to stop and rewind and think about everything.
"I've watched [my first try] a couple of times, I won't lie. I've even shown a couple of people."
Mata'utia will get his first taste of representative football when he plays for the Prime Minister's XIII against PNG on Sunday. Mata'utia has been taken aback by the support from the locals.
"The love for rugby is something I have never seen before, coming from the airport and seeing it packed out just to get a glimpse," Mata'utia said.
"Their love of footy has surprised me. It's awesome. They surprised me about how many players they knew. They knew the whole team. I'm really loving it."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...y-bulldogs-20141011-114qg3.html#ixzz3FqSzFs6c
