Timana Tahu could start his rugby career at "home" or on the far away fields of Europe, depending on Parramatta's NRL finals fortunes.

Tahu, who will join the NSW Waratahs after completing his league commitments, left Sydney on Wednesday with the rest of the Eels team for Friday's final against NZ Warriors in Auckland.

If Parramatta's are eliminated in the early weeks of the finals, Tahu will play for Australian Rugby Championship team the Western Sydney Rams who are also based at Parramatta's Stadium.

However, if Parramatta advance to the grand final, Tahu would then be relying on the Rams making the ARC finals.

If that doesn't happen, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie has hatched a contingency plan which would see Tahu start his rugby career in Europe.

McKenzie, who is keen for Tahu to play some rugby before the Waratahs' pre-season games in the new year, said he was looking at placing his prize recruit with a club in either England or Ireland.

McKenzie preferred not to identify the clubs, though one could well be powerful Irish side Leinster, which is coached by his old Randwick team-mate Michael Cheika.

"If we (Parramatta) make it to the grand final, then I'll have to go to Ireland and play four or five games there," Tahu said.

"Ewen McKenzie has got a mate over there who is a coach and, because of the World Cup as well, there's a lot of positions to be filled."

McKenzie said it was possible Tahu could play in both the ARC and in Europe.

"Three or four games would be great, we are all conscious he has had a long season, so it's not our intention to load him," McKenzie said.

"I just think it's good for him to have a crack at the game and get a feel for it.

"We hope he keeps playing well, he's been playing outstanding football in the last couple of months."

Tahu wants to finish his association with Parramatta by helping to break their 21-year first grade premiership drought.

"There's a lot of senior players like Nathan Hindmarsh and Nathan Cayless that are nearly on their way out, they've got a couple more years and then they are finished," Tahu said.

"I'd like to win it for them as well, because they have been playing for this club for all these years.

"It means a lot to all of us, that we need to win a grand final, and I think that we are going to bust our butts to get to it.

"In 2005, when we got the minor premiership, I thought we had the team then to make it to the grand final, but we got beaten by North Queensland.

"But this team is a really good team too and I think we've got the players to win a grand final and NRL title."

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