The Wests Tigers have granted Luciano Leilua a release from his contract at the club but his touted move to North Queensland isn’t official yet.
The 26-year-old last November signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys from 2023, and the Tigers said via a statement that he’d now join the North Queensland club for the remainder of this year.
Despite these reports, North Queensland football manager Micheal Luck says Leilua’s early arrival is “far from a done deal” with the Tigers yet to confirm things from their end.
“We’ve asked the question, that’s where it’s at, at the moment,” Luck said on SEN’s Pat and Heals.
“There’s still a bit of water to go under the bridge at the moment, there’s nothing in writing anywhere.
“We’d love to get ‘Luc’, he makes us a better team particularly with the injuries now we had with Heilum and Tommy Gilbert especially this week and a couple of more.
“We’ve asked the question of Luciano’s management if he can negotiate the release with the Tigers.
“Hopefully that plays out over the next few days.
“We’re a club that likes to do our due diligence that makes sure every box is ticked.
“We’re going through that process, we want to get Luciano up here but it’s not a done deal yet.”
SEN news breaker Michelle Bishop believes the hold-up behind Leilua’s move is due to North Queensland’s ability to fit the remainder of his Tigers contract inside their salary cap.
“The Cowboys are certainly interested,” Bishop said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Luciano has been told he can go, but the Cowboys have got to work out what they can afford with the salary cap.
“There is a very high possibility that they might not be able to afford him.
“The conversation hasn’t been finalised about what the Wests Tigers are going to chip in.
“It’s all very messy … none of the finer details have been worked out.”
Leilua has 99 first-grade games to his name with 56 of them coming with the Tigers whom he joined in 2020 after starting with the Dragons.