League: Offloading 'full-pay' Villasanti proves difficult for Warriors

SYDNEY - One-test Kangaroos prop Richard Villasanti is unwilling to leave the Warriors or take a pay cut to help the club remedy its salary cap blow out.

Something of a cult figure at the club during a stellar 2002 season, "Villa the Gorilla" won't become a sacrificial lamb as the Warriors strive to get under the A$3.36 million ($3.8 million) salary cap ceiling before the season kicks off on Friday.

The Warriors were last week fined A$430,000 and had four competition points deducted after breaching the salary cap by A$860,000 in 2004 and 2005.

They have until Thursday to appeal the decision and management are working out how to ensure they are under the cap when they face the Melbourne Storm in Auckland on Sunday.

One solution is to offload Villasanti. There is also talk about the futures of Kiwis backs Clinton Toopi and Brent Webb, who are off contract at the end of the season.

Villasanti, who has struggled with form and injury since the 2002 campaign, was told last week he was free to go to another NRL club but at this late stage it appears none has enough money left under the cap to sign him.

A short-term stint in England or France had seemed a likely option as the 25-year-old is eligible for a Spanish passport and would, therefore, not have taken up an import spot at a Super League club.

But his agent Allan Gainey told the Sydney Morning Herald Villasanti had been warned he would have to surrender his Australian passport to obtain a Spanish one.

"He's not going to do that so the Super League probably isn't an option and there's no money left in the NRL under the salary cap so it's looking likely that 'Villa' will stay at the Warriors," Gainey said.

"There's no problem there, he's happy at the club and they're not saying that he has to go. He's got a contract with the Warriors and both parties are prepared to honour that."

Most of the Warriors squad have reportedly agreed to defer some payments until 2007 to ensure the club is under the cap when they face Melbourne on Sunday, but Gainey said Villasanti was not among them.

"That's what I thought they were ringing about last week and I immediately said we wouldn't be taking a pay cut because we hadn't done anything wrong ... "

- NZPA