Counties Manukau's coach Milton Haig says while they're certainly still talking to Tana Umaga it's too soon to say whether the former All Black captain will return to New Zealand to play for and help coach the Steelers in the provincial rugby championship.
Haig says they're reasonably close to an agreement and hope to nail something in the next few days.
While Umaga's keen to continue the coaching career he started with Toulon in France Haig says the Steelers' primary interest in the 35-year-old is as a player, then a coach.
He says Umaga told him he's in the best shape he's been in for five years.
