Gasnier gets
pressured

Three of Australian rugby league's most powerful men are trying to talk Mark Gasnier out of a ?1m move to Wigan.

The centre has been offered a three-year deal to quit the NRL and become one of Super League's top earners.

But NRL boss David Gallop, ex-NSW Origin coach Phil Gould and his successor Ricky Stuart will all try to persuade the player to stay in Australia.

"He's a star player and we'd prefer him to stay in the NRL," Gallop told the League Correspondent.

Gasnier, 22, was banned from the opening fixture in the recent Origin series after he made an osbcene call on a mobile phone.

But the Dragons star was reinistated for the third game in which he scored an eye-catching brace of tries.

" He appears to have put his problems behind him," said Gallop.

Gasnier's agent George Mimis is reported to have said that two weeks ago he was sure Gasnier was heading for Wigan.

But he now says: " Origin would have definitely had an impact on Mark's thinking. Of course that would make him want to stay."

If Gasnier does move to Wigan he would not be considered for representative honours at either Origin or Test level.