Lote Tuqiri will be a big loss to the Waratahs © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Lote Tuqiri

Teams: Australia | New South Wales Waratahs | Waratahs

As speculation continues to rage over the reasons for Wallaby wing Lote Tuqiri's surprise sacking by the Australian Rugby Union, his Super 14 side New South Wales Waratahs are facing up to life without one of their most influential players.

With the franchise predicting a financial shortfall for the year their player resources are already suffering under a weight of cutbacks, with Tuqiri's sacking now looking likely to create a conundrum as to how to utilise their dwindling playing stocks.

Newly-acquired Wallaby international Drew Mitchell was brought to Sydney from Western Force in order to cover the departure of fullback Sam Norton-Knight to Cardiff Blues but he may now be pressed in to action out wide, with Kurtley Beale taking the No.15 jersey.

The departure of Tuqiri will not offset the financial burden as the majority of his paycheck came from the ARU - meaning that his departure has no visible positives his former employers. Having struggled with a conservative gameplan Waratahs were off the pace in a Super 14 season that saw no Australian sides progress to the semi-finals.

"We've had to cut back at the NSWRU and if I go any further we go into cartilage and bone," NSWRU chairman Ed Zemancheff told The Sydney Morning Herald. "This will mean the Waratahs having a restricted player list next season. Due to the financial situation, we won't be going next year with the full complement of contracted professional players. It will be less than the number we're entitled to. It's becoming a really big issue for us. And losing Lote has an impact both on and off the field for us.

"We're executing a whole lot of strategies at the moment to soften the [financial] blow. It wasn't a great year this season, but it won't be a disaster. It could have been worse. Next year will be really tough, because we will have one less home game.

"Lote's departure has come out of the blue and we are looking at the options. Like everyone, we don't have much money, but we will have to find someone at an appropriate level to replace him. Nonetheless, Lote is going to be a hard act to follow."