Out-of-favour St George Illawarra star Loko Pasifiki Tonga wants out but the club is refusing to let the 20-year-old young gun go.
A war of words has now erupted with the Dragons knocking back his request this week to explore the market, and his management left unimpressed.
Rogers Sports Management owner Mat Rogers claims their 20-year-old client is on the outer, and failing to develop.
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Tonga played 10 NRL games last year but hasn’t featured this year — after a serious neck injury in a training incident in March — and returned via the NSW Cup last week.
“He’s a tremendous young man,” Rogers said on SEN.
“He played 10 games for the Dragons last year. He had a big off-season.
“He came back last week, ran for 250 metres, 70 post contact metres, scored a try.
“They’ve obviously got an opinion of him that (that) he’s not up to scratch.
“He doesn’t feel like he’s being developed, and I guess we agree.
“It’s not a good sign for St George. You’ve got Jaydn Su’A walking out the door, you’ve got a young kid who’s just totally flabbergasted at the way he’s been sort of treated and not coached.
“He doesn’t know what to do. That’s the problem.”
Tonga has been named in jersey 21 for their clash with the Rabbitohs this weekend.
“Whether or not they will (let him go), they might dig their heels in, they’ve got some more pressing issues in relation to winning games of football,” Rogers said.
“There’s a very frustrated young man there who’s busting his butt and he’s playing the house down and scored two tries in the three matches he’s played.
“He thinks he deserves an opportunity, and now it’s not sour grapes, he just feels like he’s not being told what to do.
“(He thinks), ‘I can’t get better because I don’t know where they want me to work to get better’ … and there’s a team that’s 0 and 6, and they won’t make a change.
“A player of his stature… in the game, 19-20- years old, 115 kg, 6’5, runs like the wind, I’m sure he’ll be on the radar of many other clubs.”
The Dragons reject the notion that Tonga has not been developed and has not been coached to improve.
In fact, the Dragons reportedly expect Tonga to be recalled to the senior team soon.
NRL great Chad Townsend says questions need to be answered.
“I’d like to hear from Shane Flanagan as to the reason why (he hasn’t picked Pasifiki Tonga),” Townsend said on SEN.
“What’s the reason that he hasn’t played?
“He has been named in jersey number 21 for this weekend.
“These are the things as a head coach you have to manage. You have to manage the young forward who (has untapped potential).
“Pasifiki Tonga is well within his rights to ask the question ‘If you’re not going to play me, is my future elsewhere?’ The team isn’t winning games and playing well and (he feels) he can contribute to the team.”
