The Wests Tigers have officially pulled the pin on a bid for New Zealand Warriors forward Addin Fonua-Blake.
In doing so, the Tigers become the second team understood to be out of the running, following a revelation earlier this week that the Canterbury Bulldogs have pulled out of the race.
That will leave only the St George Illawarra Dragons who are said to have presented the forward with a formal offer of more than $1 million per season over four years this week, and the Cronulla Sharks who are still weighing up whether to make an offer for the forward.
The Tigers have encountered a period of turnover this week with the entire board dismissed, and interim CEO Shane Richardson told SEN Radio that the offer was now off the table, citing salary cap management and an already strong forward pack.
โI'll give you an exclusive, we've actually withdrawn our offer for Addin Fonua-Blake,โ Richardson said on SEN 1170 Sportsday.
โI think he's a great player, he's one of the top three front rowers in the game.
โOur forward pack is really strong, and we can add to that with our young players coming through.
โWe need flexibility in our cap to be able to do things we need to do to make us stronger now.
โFrom that point of view, it's my opinion and also Benji's (Marshall) because I wouldn't do it without Benji, it's not anything to do with that it's got everything to do with where we need to focus our attention on.โ
It was believed the Tigers were weighing up moving on David Klemmer in an effort to bring Jarome Luai to the club a season early, but that may now not be part of the plans at the joint-venture.
The Tigers are still in the running for Luai.
Fonua-Blake, who was named to the 2023 Dally M team of the year at prop, requested a release from the Warriors at the end of the 2023 campaign, and while he has since confirmed that he will play out 2024 with the Warriors, it's understood the Auckland-based outfit will not force him to see out all of the remaining seasons on his deal.
The Warriors are understood to want a player replacement for Fonua-Blake, and haven't given up complete hope of him playing out the 2025 season in Auckland, although the release on compassionate grounds to move closer to family is unlikely to be blocked despite his importance to the club's 2023 charge into the finals.
Should the forward wind up at the Dragons, it will see him join Shane Flanagan's rebuild, with the Red V also having big-money offers on the table for Thomas Dearden and Joseph Manu for 2025, while they are also chasing Heilum Luki who is understood to have toured the club's facilities this week.
