Mils moving to the Canes ?

Its prolly all bollocks .. to renegotiate his Akld / Blues contract but he
would slot in well with the Canes I think.

http://www.nzrugby.com/index.cfm?layout=displayNews&newsArticle=2344

Muliaina considers a move to Wellington
29/07/2005
The Dominion Post

All Blacks and Auckland fullback Mils Muliaina is considering a move to
Wellington.

The 29-test veteran yesterday said Wellington was high on his preferred
destinations when his Auckland contract expires at the end of the year.

"Yeah, it's definitely an option I'm looking at because there are a lot of
good backs down there," Muliaina said after All Blacks training at Waitakere
Stadium.

"I'm coming off my contract with Auckland at the end of the year and it
would be silly not to look at that option."

Muliaina said he recently visited Wellington to check out facilities and to
see how he felt in the environment. He said he liked what he saw.

One of the big attractions of moving south was the chance to play regularly
outside All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, he said.

"The way Tana's running at the moment, as an outside back it's awesome to
watch. He's almost the dream player to run outside."

Muliaina, a Southlander who moved to Auckland as a boarder at Kelston Boys'
High School, stopped short of saying he was leaving Auckland, describing
this time of year as the silly season, but his comments will be music to the
ears of Wellington and Hurricanes fans.

The All Blacks No 15, who turns 25 on Sunday, has made the fullback's jersey
his own in recent seasons and is among the world's best backs. A combination
of Umaga, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Lome Fa'atau, Hosea Gear and Muliaina in
the Wellington and Hurricanes backlines would rival the Crusaders for
talent.

Muliaina played every game on last year's All Blacks end-of-year tour to
Europe, and again showed his class in the second and third Tests against the
British and Irish Lions.

Wellington and the Hurricanes have been searching for a try-scoring fullback
since Christian Cullen left for Ireland in 2003.

Since then, Shannon Paku has performed more than adequately, being described
by Wellington coach John Plumtree as the rock of the backline.

But Paku is not yet in the same class as Muliaina, who has scored 13 Test
tries since his debut against England in 2003 and a further 24 for Auckland
and the Blues.

Paku would more than likely continue to play the majority of the time in the
Air New Zealand NPC, but will be smarting at the prospect of losing a
starting spot in the Hurricanes.

The move would also mean the Hurricanes would no longer need to draft
Auckland's Brent Ward each season.


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