Kerr Weighs Up First Grade Chances With Eels

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday August 10, 2002

By PAUL SUTTOR

Free agent half-back Keiran Kerr will be either a Dragon or an Eel in 2003.

The St George Illawarra First Division No 7 will decide his playing future in the next few weeks.

Kerr has received an offer to stay in the red and white but Parramatta have also made an approach as they look to fill the vacancy at their scrum base with the likely departure of Andrew McFadden.

``I'm still undecided, I had a meeting with Peter Doust and Andrew Farrar the other day and it was all pretty positive but I'm still weighing up the offer from Parramatta," he said.

``I was pretty keen to go to Parra but after meeting with Dousty and Andrew, they've got me thinking again."

Money is not a deciding factor, according to the former Shark.

``It's about getting an opportunity to re-establish myself in first grade," he said.

``Andrew said it'll be between me and the new bloke Brett Firman, Dean Byrne and Mathew Head next year. Not one of them have played first grade before so I've got a foot in the door there.

``If I went to Parra, there's going to be competition there too, so it's interesting."

Kerr will line up for First Division Dragons against Manly tomorrow at Aussie Stadium.

The first-placed red and whites, who thumped Newcastle 52-6 last weekend, have not lost since they blew a 28-point half-time lead against the Eagles nine weeks ago.

``We've been playing really good footy the last few weeks," he said. ``Newcastle gave it to us in the first half but we knew once we clicked, they couldn't keep pace with us and we ran in a few tries.

``I was out with my broken leg that last game against Manly. I remember watching it in the stands and thinking we were home when we were up 28-0 but they got on a roll and we went to sleep, and they got us."

Kerr, who missed last year's First Division grand final triumph due to a hamstring injury, said he wanted to stay injury free for the rest of the season because the Dragons were a strong chance of defending their crown.

In Jersey Flegg, the Dragons will be chasing their 13th win when they take on the Eagles tomorrow.

The Flegg kicks off the match day program at 10.55am, followed by First Division at 12.30pm and the NRL game at 2.30pm.