Rogers To Join Titans After Break

The Titans will be waiting for Rogers to complete a month-long break away from sport for family reasons, after which they are hoping to enter into negotiations over a new contract for 2007.

Managing director Michael Searle said that the club understood that Rogers wanted some time away with his family, after which he would come into the 2007 season refreshed and prepared to play rugby league once again.

"We're very keen to say to him, 'Have a break with your family, deal with the issue you need to deal with and come back refreshed and ready for a full-on 2007'," he said.

"It's certainly not a pot of gold but it's enough, I think, to entice Mat to know it's worthwhile going around."

Searle made it clear that he does not think Rogers will go elsewhere to try and find more money, despite a salary lower than his current A$500,000 ARU contract, which will continue to be paid until the end of the year.

"He's made it quite clear in the negotiations he's really keen to get up here, move his family up and start afresh” he continued. “That gives me enough comfort to say we don't need to do a deal now.”

"I think we'll have a fairly enthusiastic Mat Rogers on the paddock if we let him have a month off now, let him get his head right."

Rogers himself said that he had been through “the most difficult time in my life”, adding that he valued his rugby league jersey "too much to play in it and not be 100 per cent committed. This isn't a rugby versus league decision. It's about my family, my life, my future."