Warriors inside back Michael Witt may be heading to Otago to play rugby although the national union is the key to any deal being reached.
Witt is surplus to requirements at the Warriors and his agent has been in contact with the New Zealand Rugby Union about playing rugby, with Otago looking for a player to wear the 10 or 12 jersey.
If he does head south, Witt, who was a stunningly consistent goal-kicker for the Warriors last year, will be the second Warrior to come south, after former centre Ryan Shortland linked with the Taieri club earlier this year.
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid said yesterday the deal involved three bodies: the Otago union, the NZRU and the Warriors, and the NZRU was the key.
Reid said the player first had to sign with the NZRU.
It was too early to talk about money and which organisation would be financing the bulk of the deal.
NZRU contracts manager Chris Tindall is involved in the deal and had made contact with Otago about Witt.
Reid said Tindall was the key man in the deal.
"But we have been after a 10 and 12 for a couple of months now and from what we understand he [Witt] is keen to have a crack at rugby union," Reid said.
"We've got a hole in the inside backs apart from Chris Noakes and this guy can obviously play."
Reid said Witt (25) had played rugby as a junior but it was far from a done deal.
Negotiations would continue today.
Reid said if a comparable player from rugby union came on to the market, with similar experience, Witt would probably be preferred.
Witt has played 43 games for the Warriors and scored 291 points.
His goal-kicking success rate last year was more than 90%.
When asked if Otago should instead be spending money on local players, Reid said if there were players being produced in the south, he would happily spend the money on them.
"But we haven't been producing those sort of players for the last five or six years. We're trying now to get those players through the system but that takes a while."
Witt was educated at Harristown State High School, in Toowoomba, Queensland.
The Sunday News reported yesterday Witt's agent, Darryl Mather, said his client's option was to play for Otago.
Witt is unwanted at the Warriors with new signings Joel Moon and Stacey Jones preferred in the inside backs.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the club would not stand in Witt's way if he wanted to switch to rugby.
Meanwhile, the Highlanders will journey to Palmerston North this week, buoyed with confidence after a good win over the hapless Cheetahs at Carisbrook on Saturday night.
Scoring five tries to one, the Highlanders secured a bonus point with their 32-8 win, to move up to eighth on the table.
The Highlanders take on the table-topping Bulls in a "home" game this Saturday night in Palmerston North.
