KEY POINTS:
The Warriors have offered Brent Tate a four-year deal worth as much as $450,000 a season that may have put other suitors off the Broncos centre. The 25-year-old is off contract at the end of the season and Brisbane have told Tate's manager George Mimis to test the market.
The reigning champions are unwilling to stretch their finances beyond $300,000 a year because of salary cap difficulties and are also prepared to lose Justin Hodges and Shaun Berrigan.
The Warriors, who have said they could be in line to recruit a marquee player and who earlier looked into signing Sonny Bill Williams, moved quickly for Tate.
Quality centres rarely come on to the market and it's understood the Warriors offer, up to $150,000 more than any other club, has scared off some rival bids. "The offer from New Zealand is a very good one," Mimis has said.
The Raiders, Sharks and Panthers have expressed interest in Tate and he was also sounded out by the Australian Rugby Union.
Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce said the club had money to spend but it was up to coach Ricky Stuart who they recruited and whether he wanted to spend it all on one player.
"I wouldn't say we are out of it but Ricky is looking at all the options there," Pierce said.
Raiders coach Neil Henry said it was unlikely Tate would be joining them. "I don't think we've got the money for him," he told The Canberra Times.
The Cowboys had also been linked to Tate but chief executive Peter Parr said this was wide of the mark. He did, however, express surprise at the numbers being mentioned. "He's a good player but I'm not sure he's worth that sort of money," he said.
Panthers general manager Michael Leary expressed a similar sentiment. "That's a bit of money [the Warriors are offering] and I think each club can afford only one player at that level. We are concentrating on retaining our own players before seeing what else is out there," he said.
While Tate is a player of unquestioned ability, having played 15 tests for Australia, doubt remains about his longevity in the game because of a chronic neck injury that threatened to end his career prematurely.
Tate, diagnosed with a hyper-mobile neck, which means it extends further than most people's and makes him more susceptible to injury, expects to play with a specially-designed neck brace for the rest of his career.
The Warriors declined to comment about Tate.
