Loki Crichton has revealed his desire to stay at Sixways beyond the end of the current season.
The former Samoa international, who is recovering from a heel injury, is out of contract in the summer but wants to extend his Worcester career into a third campaign and perhaps beyond.
The 32-year-old joined Warriors in October 2007 but has not secured a regular place in the starting line-up since then partly due to a run of injuries and partly due to the form of other players.
Nevertheless the ex-Waikato Chief has found a home from home among many other exiled New Zealanders and wants to play – at Worcester – for as long as he can.
“I would love to stay,” Crichton said. “We will see how it goes. If I play well and the team goes well maybe there’s a chance.
“It’s really good here. I said to my mates back home it’s probably the easiest team for me to fit in to.
With Dale [Rasmussen], Aleki [Lutui], Tevita [Taumoepeau], Sammy [Tuitupou], Rico [Gear] and all those guys I have played with in New Zealand.
“It’s nice, it feels like you are still at home. I haven’t really thought about it. I am not really thinking about it being my last season, though.
“I am just focusing on getting fit and playing again and hopefully if I am doing that well something will come of it further down the line.
“Home is always home but I have said to myself ‘You are not going to be doing this forever’.
“I have got to enjoy it while I can and when it’s time to go home, we will go home.”
The first thing Crichton must do is return to fitness following the knock he picked up a month or so ago.
The utility player looked set for an extended run in the first team when Matt Jones went down with a broken foot only to suffer his own injury.
That necessitated the addition of Eoghan Hickey on a six-week loan from London Irish and in the Samoan’s absence Hickey has performed well – especially with the boot.
So well in fact director of rugby Mike Ruddock has asked the Exiles about the possibility of retaining Hickey even though he is under contract for the rest of this and all of next season.
Crichton’s ability to play in a number of positions could help him achieve his ambition of remaining at Sixways.
Ruddock has played the former Newcastle man at full back as much as at fly half and with talk of a limit on squad sizes Crichton’s pedigree and versatility would be invaluable.
His next opportunity to demonstrate those qualities could come on January 31, if Sale agree to reschedule last Saturday’s cancelled match for that date.
Jones could also be in the picture for that match too though Hickey’s situation could be a lot clearer with the initial six-week loan up after January 17.
