By PETER JESSUP
The Warriors took step one in their plan to move up in the competition with the signing of Ruben Wiki yesterday, and negotiations to bring Bulldogs skipper Steve Price over are looking good.
The Kiwis captain said he was swayed in signing the last contract of his career by
thoughts of family and friends, including Warriors players.
"England was too far away and Sydney is too fast." But ironically, his mother Tessa had just taken up an opportunity to transfer to Melbourne so she could be nearer Wiki, his wife Santa and their three children. "She's having mixed emotions but is happy that it's the best for our future."
Warriors chief executive Mick Watson and general manager Spiro Tsiros were to meet Price and his manager, George Mimis, in Sydney late yesterday, with indications that their bigger-money offer would out-sway the hold of his 10-year club.
Wiki was pleased the contract auction was over so he could concentrate on football.
He said he was unconcerned about the Warriors' bottom-of-table placing because they had the talent to return to the top.
"Everyone goes through these rough patches - they were beaten grandfinalists in 2002 and knocked out a game earlier last year and that can be demoralising.
"Hopefully, I can help lift them."
Wiki is the second-longest serving Kiwi in the Aussie premiership behind Stephen Kearney, with his 218th game for the Raiders coming up this weekend.
The Raiders won the premiership title in Wiki's second year in 1994 and made playoffs in all of his 11 seasons with the club bar 1999 and 2001.
At age 31, Wiki has cut his alcohol intake to almost nil and uses kava as a re-invigourant after games.
Asked if he was sure his body would hold up for the three seasons of his Warriors deal, he said: "As long as they have kava in Auckland."
It seems to be working because Wiki just keeps improving his statistics. He was Raiders Player of the Year in 2003 after fronting in 24 games.
Two suspensions have marred this season, keeping him out of the Anzac test and nine NRL games.
Wiki might have been a Warrior for all his career but for a signings dispute with then-chief executive Ian Robson. But he has no regrets.
"I couldn't have achieved what I have if I'd stayed there. But that's all in the past."
Wiki has many friends among the Warriors and carries a lot of mana because of his longevity in the NRL and record of 39 tests, the last two as captain.
His arrival will mean plenty to the likes of Stacey Jones and it would not be surprising to see the team respond this weekend with a back-up win over the Sharks at Cronulla.
Price will also command plenty of respect from the players.
Warriors captain Monty Betham made it clear he was looking forward to the help the new signings would give him in the leadership role.
"It will be a weight off Stacey, Awen [Guttenbeil], all the senior players.
"The more experience you have the better - you know better ways to do things - and those guys have heaps of experience."
Of Price, he said: "No one knows better than those who play against him just how good he is."
The 30-year-old Bulldogs skipper was scouted from junior grades in Queensland and joined the Canterbury-Bankstown club in 1993, making his premiership debut the following year. He was part of their 1995 title-winning side.
The Dogs beat Manly 17-4 that year in a game featuring two former All Blacks: John Timu in the centres for the Dogs and Matthew Ridge at fullback for the Eagles, his two goals their only points.
It was also Dogs' skipper Terry Lamb's last game of a record 357.
Since then the Bulldogs have made the finals every season except 1996, 2000 and 2002 - when they finished on top but were sent to last place after points were deducted for salary cap breaches.
They are among the front-runners again. But sexual assault scandals in pre-season training at Coffs Harbour and the salary cap drama will have played no small part in Price's decision to look elsewhere.
He was not in any way involved in either scandal and as leader he must have felt badly let down by his errant team-mates. As captain he was required to front up to the media, and in doing so he acted with class at all times.
As details of the cap rort came out in 2002, it was clear that Price had not received any brown envelopes, and that as a long-serving and loyal player he was poorly paid by comparison with some team-mates who had been attracted from other clubs.
Since the cap scandal Price has taken an active part in the Rugby League Players' Association.
He is not a flashy player - he has scored just 21 tries in 10 years. But he sets play up as well as any prop in the competition and his stats compare well with the likes of Shane Webcke, Robbie Kearns and Jason Ryles as well as Wiki.
Price has a good, controlled off-load and specialises in kick charge-downs, bringing them off more than any other forward.
The Warriors offer was attractive to him from the start - the day the anti-tampering deadline came off.
Watson flew in under the Dogs' radar after learning that Price had an option allowing him to leave the club. The Dogs had assumed he was staying.
After the Warriors made their offer - first about A$320,000 ($352,000) but Sydney papers now report that it was nudged to A$400,000 - Price started seriously considering a switch.
His main concern was for wife Jo and their two children and how they would handle leaving their hobby farm at Picton, southwest of Sydney.
So Jo Price spent four days in Auckland last week looking at schools and properties. She has since apparently told friends in Picton that she could easily see the family living in Auckland.
A major plus for the Prices will no doubt be living without the children seeing the "front and back-page news" that the Bulldogs have been for three years.
The Dogs met Price and manager Mimis for 4 1/2 hours late on Thursday, with club chief executive Malcolm Noad increasing their offer to A$280,000. It was the most they could come up with after committing to many other players in the squad.
Noad highlighted Price's importance as a one-club player, stated what the club could offer him after football, and offered university courses and other inducements allowed within cap rules - the Dogs now being the most heavily audited club in the competition.
The Sydney Daily Telegraph yesterday ran an emotional plea under the headline "Don't leave Steve".
He is the Bulldogs, the paper said - the one man in the whole competition who everyone thought would remain a one-club player.
Price was meeting with Watson and Tsiros last night. The Warriors are staying at the Crown Plaza hotel in Coogee Bay ahead of their match with the Sharks tonight.
Details had been settled and it was just a matter of getting his signature.
The Warriors were hoping Price had made up his mind and was looking forward to a cheerful signing.
A factor for both Wiki and Price was coming to a club with a professional business administration.
The pair will balance the youth of the squad particularly well. They will provide drive, will play for 80 minutes and will never give up.
Expect big change in the Warriors of 2005.
THE PLAYERS
Steve Price
* Born March 12, 1974, at Dalby, Queensland.
* 193cm, 101kg prop.
* Junior club Newtown, Toowoomba.
* NRL debut for the Bulldogs R14 1994, with 210 games for the club since.
* 16 State of Origin games since 1998.
* Three tests: 1999 v NZ, GB, one test 2004 v NZ.
* 2003 Bulldogs Best and Fairest.
* 2003 Rugby League Week magazine players' poll Players' Award.
* 2004 stats: 145m average gain, 23 tackles. Total 21 off-loads, 9 errors.
Ruben Wiki
* Born January 21, 1971 at Auckland.
* 186cm, 106kg prop/second-rower.
* Junior club Otahuhu.
* NRL debut for Canberra R11 1993, with 217 games for the club.
* 39 tests for the Kiwis since 1994, captain 2003-04.
* 2003 Raiders Player of the Year.
* 2004 stats: 127m average gain, 27 tackles. Total 18 off-loads, 11 errors.
By PETER JESSUP
The Warriors took step one in their plan to move up in the competition with the signing of Ruben Wiki yesterday, and negotiations to bring Bulldogs skipper Steve Price over are looking good.
The Kiwis captain said he was swayed in signing the last contract of his career by
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