Iafeta cooks up a Storm but may move on

The Warriors are facing up to the fact they might lose barnstorming prop Iafeta Paleaaesina to a lucrative contract to play in the UK Super League. The 23-year-old is off contract at the end of the season and his form in recent weeks has caught the eye of more than a few interested spectators.

After a series of consistent performances off the bench, he got a starting spot against the Eels last night, rather than being the five-minute man capable of only short bursts of action.

Paleaaesina's agent, Peter Brown, is currently in the UK sounding out interest there, with both Wigan and Warrington understood to be ready to put a big-money contract to the Warriors product.

Warriors chief executive Mick Watson said he would sit down with Brown soon after he returned to the country tomorrow to see if they could thrash out a new deal.

"Iafeta is someone we want to keep but staying under the salary cap is always challenging," Watson said. "I expect the offers are going to be very good from significant clubs in England which makes it hard for us to compete. We will do all we can and see how we go."

Although halfback Stacey Jones will depart to France at the end of the season, and leave behind his $400,000 pay packet, the Warriors appear already close to the salary cap limit because of the retention of a number of the current crop, like Jerome Ropati and Wairangi Koopu, on new and improved contracts. It also appears this is one of the major reasons why Watson has said the club are highly unlikely to recruit players over the summer.

Prop is one area the Warriors have significant depth, with skipper Steve Price, Ruben Wiki and Richard Villasanti but the club sees Paleaaesina as a player of the future considering both Price and Wiki are on the wrong side of 30.

Paleaaesina made his NRL debut for the Warriors in 2001 but has made his most significant progress this season, culminating in an impressive display in the 24-16 victory against the Melbourne Storm last weekend when he topped the team's hit-up and metres-gained stats with 20 and 167 respectively.

He's renowned for his powerful running and muscled his way over for a well-deserved try against the Storm despite the attention of three tacklers.

"He's a very good footballer who is playing very well at the moment and he's a great impact player who is just getting better," Watson said. "He's doing a great job for the Warriors and we hope he will stay."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY