Jonah Has Had A Bellyful Of Being Undervalued By Nz

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday November 20, 2003

AILING former All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu has cut his ties with the New Zealand Rugby Union because it didn't appreciate his value.

Lomu, the top try-scorer in Rugby World Cup history, has been struggling with a chronic kidney illness which forced him to abort his comeback this year.

Lomu said he ``couldn't be bothered" negotiating a new contract with the NZRU because it didn't recognise his worth.

``You know, I just could not be bothered sitting there negotiating any contracts," he told the Holmes television program in New Zealand.

``I was the one that terminated my contract, it wasn't anyone else.

``I just said to (manager Phil Kingsley-Jones) `nah, I just can't be bothered'.

``It wasn't a money thing, it was just that I couldn't be bothered negotiating if they don't know what my worth is and if they don't know what I could do for them. It's just a waste of time."

Lomu was in Sydney on Tuesday to accept the International Rugby Players' Association's (IRPA) Special Merit award from French full-back Serge Blanco at the 2003 IRPA Awards Dinner.

``It's been a great privilege and a great honour to represent my country and to pull on the All Black jersey and to represent my country," he said after receiving the award.

``A lot of people know me as Jonah who plays for New Zealand, but I also come from Tongan heritage as well, but everything started in New Zealand.

``There's not enough words to explain how much I love this game."

Lomu receives dialysis four hours a day, six days a week as a result of kidney failure, brought on by the rare nephritic syndrome. His attempted comeback this season was halted by the side-effects of his treatment. He has suffered pain in his calves and numbness in his feet as a result of altered blood circulation.

``As most of you have probably noticed, I can't walk very far very quickly because I've got something wrong with nerves in my feet," he told the audience in Sydney.

Lomu, 28, had hoped to remain under contract to the NZRU as he battled his illness but the union declined his reported request for a new contract payment of $441,600 per year. It is believed the union only offered $44,000.

Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 Tests.