KC Explains Player Swap

IT’S been a busy week at Saints with not only tonight’s game against Leigh Centurions to look forward to but news of a player ‘swap’.

Zeb Taia and Joe Greenwood ‘traded places’ and both players are now waiting on Visas before they can take to the field at their new clubs.

“We had the opportunity to do something now and whilst I am disappointed to lose a young homegrown player, we have got the services of a great player,” Saints Head Coach Keiron Cunningham said. “We couldn’t really wait until the end of the year – Zeb might have stayed around the Gold Coast and if not, would have gone on the open market. Lots of clubs are looking for back rowers and we needed security. He will influence a lot of good things for the team.

“Zeb is an outstanding player. We tried to get him a few years ago before he went back to the Titans.

“It’s now a case of waiting for his Visa but every box has been ticked and we expect him to be with us in two or three weeks.”

He continued: “It’s sad to lose Joe. To his credit I asked him to be honest and come and speak to me if he would be leaving – and he did just that. He was due to leave at the end of the season but then the cogs started turning, questions were asked and we are now where we are.

“It’s sad to see him go and I’d like to see him come back in the future and pull a Saints shirt on.

“We are hamstrung at what we can offer players. The salary caps between the two leagues are so different and to be honest we couldn’t have kept him if we had tried.

“People don’t realise the work, time, effort and finance that goes into a junior player.

“People have spent lots of time with Joe to help him develop and he still has a lot more learning to do.

“But that’s sport and I admire him for going out there, just him and his girlfriend, and taking up the challenge of an NRL career.”

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