$700,000 price tag on Lomu

Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu could receive as much as $700,000 a year if he returns to top-level rugby.

However, this time the money is not expected to come as easy for the giant winger.

Lomu terminated his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union in 2003 after he was offered only a fraction of his original salary, estimated at between $400,000 and $900,000 a year.

At the time the former All Black was battling kidney failure. Now Lomu has had a transplant and is on the comeback trail, the NZRFU is ready to discuss a new contract.

It is understood Lomu was on a guaranteed contract with the union which meant he was paid regardless of whether he was selected. He is understood to be the only player to have had such a contract.

"I think first and foremost he will be offered a contract under the current collective where payments are all dependent on selection," player agent Rob Brady said.

"In terms of dollars, the total package taking into account his Super 12, All Black fees and an NPC contract could be somewhere between $600,000 to $700,000."

It is understood a handful of the country's top players receive betwen $450,000 and $500,000 a year.

Brady said $600,000 to $700,000 was at the top end: "They won't go well beyond that for Jonah Lomu."

But considering Lomu's high profile in the game, there is nothing stopping the union letting him continue on a guaranteed contract or offering him at least a retainer to keep him on side and away from others who are trying to poach him.

"You wonder now if the rugby union regrets a little bit that they don't already have an employee and employer relationship with Jonah," Brady said.

"Jonah has said first and foremost he was always going to come back and play for the All Blacks. You would have thought that they would have offered him a role, an ambassador or something, on some sort of contract to maintain a relationship with him.

"I don't think they have been involved in Jonah's rehabilitation. They have really left Jonah to himself to try and get himself back on the paddock which I think is a little disappointing."

Brady said New Zealand rugby had a vested interest in seeing Lomu back in action - from a commercial and a playing point of view.

"He is the best player in the world - he can do things no other player can do.

"Now they are going to have to go and talk to him again and I would imagine ... that it is probably a little disappointing for Jonah. You would have thought there was someone there who thought having a commercial relationship with Jonah Lomu may have been the right thing to do."

Rugby players are offered a sum of money, but have to be selected in a Super 12 team, the All Blacks and an NPC side to receive the total amount.

"It is the practice by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union that they won't go to Jonah Lomu and offer him something that is significantly less than what he was previously on," said Brady.

"I know if Leon MacDonald returned home he would be offered exactly what he was on before he left. Troy Flavell was offered a contract that was exactly what it was when he had second thoughts about leaving.

"I would say they would offer Jonah a base contract to be available to be selected in the Super 12 of $300,000 to $350,000 a year. If he is selected he is paid it, if he is not then he's not paid it.

"Then he'll get an offer of an All Black contract. I would say it would be about $200,000. Jonah will need to play in every test to receive that. If he only plays two out of 11 tests in a year he'll only receive two-elevenths of $200,000. Then he'll have a contract with an NPC team which will be a guaranteed retainer to be available during the NPC."

Follow the money

Player agent Rob Brady estimates Jonah Lomu's next NZRU contract might go like this:

* $300,000-$350,000 for Super 12
* $200,000 for All Blacks - that slice dependent on number of tests he plays
* Retainer for NPC play