The Warriors are confident a deal can be reached and it could be announced in the next fortnight. The main sticking point is the length of the contract. The 29-year-old is pushing for a three- or four-year deal, while the club are said to favour a two-year term.
Despite that, it should be resolved soon and seems a logical decision. Vatuvei has had a mortgage on the Warriors' left wing for more than a decade and, despite well-publicised ups and downs, has been one of the first picked by every Warriors coach since 2005.
He has played at least 17 matches every season since and continues to score tries few other wingers could manage (witness his effort against the Storm two weeks ago, or his first try against the Tigers last week).
Vatuvei was also good enough to return to the international arena last year, a decade after his Kiwis debut. He played superbly in the Four Nations final, scoring two memorable tries and regularly making inroads into the Kangaroos defensive line. 'The Beast' makes up for any defensive shortcomings with his attacking impact.
He has averaged almost 120 running metres per game across his career and carried for a personal high 3111m last season. He seems fitter than ever and careful management should prolong his career.
From a club point of view, Vatuvei is marketing gold, befitting someone who is reputedly the highest-paid winger in the game.
As demonstrated last week during his milestone celebrations, the 29-year-old has wide-ranging appeal. He is one of the few athletes recognised by his first name in Australasia and has fans across all demographics.
If Vatuvei does sign on for several more seasons, he will be on track to set a slew of records. He has scored 140 tries, nearly double the next best Warrior (77 by Stacey Jones). Vatuvei has also scored six NRL hat tricks. And if he stays injury free, Vatuvei could break Jones' club appearance record of 261 games and become the second most capped Warrior (skipper Simon Mannering is likely to stay ahead of Vatuvei).
