Gleeson won't be at Raiders in 2009 - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Gleeson won't be at Raiders in 2009

By Laine Clark 29/10/2008 08:59:11 PM Comments (0)

A deal to swap Australian Test winger Joel Monaghan for England centre Martin Gleeson has been dismissed by Canberra boss Don Furner.

But the Raiders chief executive has not ruled out Gleeson running out for the Green Machine in 2010.

An English newspaper report suggested moves were afoot for Super League club Warrington to offer up Gleeson so that Canberra flyer Monaghan could play alongside his brother and former Manly star Michael at the Wolves.

It claimed the swap deal will be finalised after the World Cup in which Monaghan and Gleeson will go head to head.

Gleeson, 28, is contracted to the Wolves until the end of 2010 but Warrington boss Simon Moran says the club will be "sympathetic" to a request for an early release.

Furner said the NRL club had approached Gleeson's management - but had no plans to offload their strike weapon Monaghan.

"As far as we know Martin is still under contract at Warrington so we would not be considering having him over here for `09," Furner told AAP.

"But we have spoken to his management and there is a chance he is available in 2010 so definitely we would be interested in him playing here.

"We are not ruling out Gleeson coming here but certainly we don't want Joel to go anywhere."

Gleeson had been linked to Melbourne and Brisbane earlier this year.

The English centre was expected to be attracted to Queensland after spending his early years in Brisbane.

The Wigan-born Gleeson's family emigrated to Brisbane when he was nine and did not return to the UK until he was 17.

The former Logan Brothers junior has admitted that he had received "a lot of interest" from NRL clubs.

Wolves boss Moran added further fuel to the fire.

"Martin has agreed to put his 100 per cent commitment into 2009 and that's what is on the agenda at the moment," he told The Guardian.

"We'll probably be sympathetic from there on.

"It gives us plenty of time to get an equally good replacement."

Gleeson - who captained England in a World Cup warm-up match - will no doubt shop around the NRL clubs while Down Under for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Joel Monaghan, 26, opened up his Test account with a try on debut in Australia's 30-6 thrashing of New Zealand in the World Cup opener in Sydney on Sunday night.

Monaghan and Gleeson will clash when Australia hosts England at Melbourne's Telstra Dome on Sunday.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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