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Tigers Lui eyes Cowboys return

Written by Fox Sports on .

Wests Tigers halfback Robert Lui is in line to become the latest player squeezed out of Concord after being linked to a return home to North Queensland Cowboys.

Despite being on a contract worth $200,000 for next season, Wests Tigers are considering releasing Lui as they continue to restructure their playing roster.

The Lui development comes two months after the Tigers were forced to confront major internal issues when a number of senior players were told they were free to look for alternative clubs for 2012.

Senior players Chris Heighington, Beau Ryan and Liam Fulton were all tapped on the shoulder before sorting things out to remain at the Tigers, while utility back Tim Moltzen (St George Illawarra), props Andrew Fifita and Bryce Gibbs (Cronulla) and fullback Wade McKinnon (Hull) were allowed to leave.

At one point, the situation looked to have the potential to destabilise their season with talk of player unrest. However, the Tigers have re-grouped after some mid-season ructions and are even pressing for a top-four spot with a favourable run home.

They will be looking for their sixth straight win on Sunday when they host Parramatta at the SFS.

Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys tried to hose down talk of Lui leaving, but the move has been discussed.

"He's under contract for next year and that's what we expect to be honoured," Humphreys said.

"There's been no official conversations and I don't think it's going to happen."

Born in Townsville, Lui and his partner Taleah Backo both have family in the region and the possibility of moving back home has been on the halfback's radar since the Tigers and Cowboys clashed in Townsville in round 19.

If Lui does leave, the halfback would become the fifth high-profile Tigers player to be granted an early release in the past three months.

In the same time-frame, the Tigers have signed Melbourne Storm forward Adam Blair, Parramatta centre Joel Reddy and Penrith prop Matthew Bell as part of a major overhaul.

Lui's exit would open up a pathway to the NRL for talented Toyota Cup players Jacob Miller and Curtis Sironen.

Cowboys chief executive Peter Jourdain and football manager Peter Parr both said they had heard the Lui rumours but at this point the halfback was under contract with the Tigers.

"I'm not aware of the Tigers being willing to release him or anything like that, but if they were willing to release him then I would have the appropriate conversations with Neil Henry and other people in our footy department," Parr said.

"I've heard the rumours.

"If he was to become available, or wanted to explore the options of getting back up north, then I would suggest we'd have a look at it.

"But as it stands at the moment, that's a hypothetical because he's under contract with the Tigers."

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