The Bulldogs have lost yet another marquee player, with former State of Origin centre Willie Tonga joining the exodus from Belmore and linking with the North Queensland Cowboys for a lengthy 4 year stint.
It seems like there are now former Bulldogs everywhere in the NRL, Tonga set to join former Dogs teammates Jonathan Thurston and Ben Harris.
The Cowboys apparently chased Willie Tonga on the advice of former centre and club captain Paul Bowman. The former Cowboy captain telling North Queensland scouts that Willie Tonga is one of the hardest players to tackle in the NRL, the elusive centre almost impossible to mark said Paul Bowman.
The wrap from Bowman was enough to tip the scales in favour of Tonga – the classy centre walking away from Belmore and apparently refusing a $300,000 a year contract extension to stay in Dogville.
The Cowboys consulted knee specialists to get advice on the injuries Tonga has incurred over the years, but doctors said Willie Tonga bares no scars and should be a safe bet for the club from 2009.
Tonga a Queensland junior will be happy to return to his former homeland and will be keen to recapture his best form and rejoin the ranks of State of Origin as soon as possibl.e