Manager's amazing attack on Kiwi bad boy

Sacked Kiwi halfback Arana Taumata's manager is standing by his man with a shotgun.

In a shock admission to Sunday News, Cameron Day said if league's latest bad boy took out his daughter "I'd shoot him!".

Taumata, earmarked by Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney as the new Stacey Jones, was sacked by the Melbourne Storm last week after a boozy night out ended with him throwing a punch at a punter at a Melbourne bar.

Taumata had already been marched by Brisbane in 2006 and the Sydney Roosters in 2007 for discipline breaches and the Bulldogs last year after he allegedly broke another man's jaw in an off-field incident.

Day who represents a number of NRL and Wallaby stars says it's time for some tough love for Taumata, who he says has gotten away with numerous incidents in the past that have gone unnoticed by the media and NRL bosses.

Day says Taumata has been surrounded by too many people away from football who have been willing to turn the other cheek to his misdemeanors and not hold him accountable for his actions.

"There's no doubt in my mind (people) have been guilty of that," he said from his Sydney base.

"Everyone dribbles over his talent, because he's got a gift.

"He's genuinely one of the most exciting guys in either code to watch.

"But you can't do what he has done. (Some people) think he's an angel. He's not. If he was going out with my daughter I'd shoot him.

"That's the reality of it. No one has ever told him: 'Mate, you're just being a f------. I've said to him a number of times 'you need to take responsibility for whatever you do... I am not going to make any excuses for you because there aren't any."

Taumata, who played for the New Zealand Maori against the All Golds ahead of last year's World Cup, went close to making the team for the tournament.

Kearney thought so much of the playmaker that he used his role as assistant coach at Melbourne to manoeuvre the youngster onto the Storm roster despite his troubled past.

But it all went wrong last week when Taumata was sacked by club CEO Brian Waldron after "a physical altercation with another male".

Day is convinced there is a road back to the NRL for Taumata.

"But it's a long road," he said, "and it doesn't involve playing footy this year.

"No one will go near him and he'd be mad to even try. Maybe next year. Who knows?

"Look, time heals no question but he's got that much baggage at the moment that it's not even worth considering him playing footy.

"There would be absolutely no way that the NRL would register him (at the moment) - they just wouldn't do it.

"There wouldn't be one rugby league club in the world that would sign him, he knows that.

"He's got to go away and work on not being a f------ and understanding that when you punch people in the face you get into trouble. You can't do it.

"And when he has a drink, he does it. He does it all the time... he's gotten away with plenty too. When he's not on the drink he's a lovely kid. He really is.

"(But) he needs to understand that being pissed is no excuse. And he knows what he is like when he's pissed, so when he's sober and he makes that decision to have his first drink, he's making a decision that he knows that is more than likely going to end up with him punching the f--- out of someone."

As a part of his contract termination agreement from the Storm, Taumata will be able to access any of the club's counselling services free-of-charge from wherever he decides to live.

He will decide between playing club rugby in Sydney or remaining in Melbourne this week.

Sunday News understands he will opt for life in Melbourne where he is being supported by Kearney and the Storm's head coach Craig Bellamy.

Day has no intention of dropping the troubled star from his client list.

"When you decide to represent someone you can't just sit there and take the glory and when the whole thing turns to shit just walk away," he said.

"If he can get through a year - he hasn't got through three months without having an issue like this, that's the problem - maybe someone will give him a chance. Maybe. If he can get through two years, he's looking good.

"But that's a pipe dream at the moment because he can't get through a couple of months without having a punch up."

- © Fairfax NZ News