Ali Lauit'iti Offered a Release by
the Warriors

The New Zealand Warriors rugby league club tonight confirmed that star forward Ali Lauit'iti has been offered a release from his contract.

Warriors general manager Spiro Tsiros told League Correspondent tonight that the Warriors were a professional club whose objectives were to win games and perform at an elite level "for our fans, for our sponsors and for everyone".

"Ali's objectives didn't exactly line up with that."

" He has been offered a release if he chooses to channel his energies elsewhere ? either with another club or in another field, we'll give him that option.

"At the moment, we are not performing on the field, the results on the board tell us that.

"When we look to our senior players to help us out, we have to make a tough decision," Tsiros said.

It was reported that Lauiti'iti was shocked by the club's action.

Lauiti'iti, has played four times for the Kiwi national team, but was not included in the side preparing for this Friday's Anzac test, had 2? years of his contract still to run.

The 24-year-old forward's axing caps off a horror few weeks for the Warriors.

Last year's NRL semifinalists have won only one of six games this season and the form of numerous players has been shocking by their own standards.

The biggest shock of all came on Sunday when ace scrum-half Stacey Jones ruled himself out of Kiwis contention for the Anzac test in Newcastle on Friday because of a supposed drastic drop in form.

Lauiti'iti, who won the Dally M award for best NRL second-rower in 2002, has struggled to regain the form that made him one of the most damaging players in the world with his ability to draw tacklers and offload.

He was sidelined for 4 months last year after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from a bone in his left arm.