Weepu ponders league switch

DUMPED All Blacks half back Piri Weepu says he’s on the verge of switching to the rival rugby league code after failing to make the World Cup squad.

Weepu, who had been part of the All Blacks inner circle of 22 players all year, was the shock omission when a 29-man World Cup squad was named last weekend.

Weepu said he wanted to jump to rugby league as soon as he was told he had missed the cut.

But after reflecting on the situation for a week he said he would delay a decision until his contract expires at the end of New Zealand’s domestic rugby season in October.

There has been speculation in the local media the 23-year-old, who had been regarded as New Zealand’s No 2 halfback behind Byron Kelleher, was discarded for off-field issues, but Weepu said the selectors never raised that.

“They never told me my drinking or off-field issues were part of the reason why I wasn’t selected,” he said.

He was one of the six players who broke a midnight curfew and was fined $500 (€365) by the All Blacks management before the deciding Tri-Nations Test against Australia.

Weepu has always been open about his desire to play league and trained with the Newcastle Knights league side in Australia in January.