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Taumalolo to be the first non–Australian to be immortalised

10th January, 2018
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Jason Taumalolo - a modern rugby league superstar. (NRLPhotos/Scott Davis)
Roar Guru
10th January, 2018
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2008 Reads

It was 2008 on a cold winter’s night. I was sitting in the 100-year-old stand (named after Keith Barnes the next year) with the new Roosters Recruitment Manager Peter O’Sullivan at Leichhardt Oval.

“Have a look at this kid”, Sully quipped. “He is only 15”.

Although the youngest player on the field “this kid” was the biggest, but was still one of the fastest with exceptional leg speed and had the rare ability to step off both feet at pace

His name was Vaai (call me Jason) Taumalolo and was recruited by the North Queensland Cowboys at age 14 while playing for a New Zealand under 16s touring team.

It was no surprise that he went on to become the youngest ever player to debut for the Cowboys aged 17 years, two months and 21 days, when he came off the interchange bench against the Bulldogs. It was Round 24 and I mentioned in commentary to Peter Tunks on radio that this young Jason Taumalolo reminded me of the great Arthur Beetson as he would create a nightmare for defences.

Fast forward to the 2017 World Cup, and Jason Taumalolo, still only 24, is now established as the game’s best big forward.

Arthur Beetson and Johnny Raper are the only two forwards named in the current list of rugby league immortals; both played in a different era with different rules and with no analytics available and limited vision – so it is folly to even compare them with a modern day player.

Sonny Bill Willliams and Sam Burgess were the two highest-rated modern day big forwards in my system, and the media compared Taumalolo to the great SBW in 2012 when he was only 19 after he played 17 matches for the Cowboys, scoring five tries off the bench.

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Sam Burgess is the stand out best English forward in the modern game, but even he was made look average when he clashed with an inspired Taumalolo while trying to win a place in the RLWC Final for Tonga against the Kangaroos.

England won the match, but Taumalolo won the contest against the great Englishman running 222 metres from 18 brutal runs.

Displaying a massive engine, he made 153 metres in the second half that almost created a huge upset for his beloved Mate Ma’a.

Jason Taumalolo Tonga Rugby League World Cup 2017

(NRLPhotos/Scott Davis)

Taumalolo achieved 205 metres on average in his 26 NRL matches last season with Paul Gallen (183m), David Klemmer (167m) and Sea Eagle Martin Taupau (163m) the next best.

Taumalolo’s career really took off when Paul Green was appointed head coach at the Cowboys in 2014 and he made the call to make him a starting player in the top 13 at age 21. He was previously being used as an impact man off the bench, playing largely on the edge and often relegated to the Queensland Cup.

To start Taumalolo in the important position of lock forward (same position as John Raper) and play long minutes raised an eyebrow with pundits, but Green’s move was a master stroke which was to help bring home the club’s initial premiership the following season.

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Green and Taumalolo changed the way a typical lock plays.

The wily former halfback knew he had a Rolls Royce and did not want to waste his ability to bust open a game by making big tackle numbers, which is typical for the prototype lock. He has the luxury of having tackling machines Ethan Lowe and Gavin Cooper on the edges and they also have been brilliant in covering the middle when possible.

Taumalolo averaged a respectable 28 tackles, but his job was to hit the ball up hard and execute a quick play the ball, and don’t worry about passing like an Artie Beetson would.

The coach knew that a big Taumalolo hit up and either Johnathan Thurston or Michael Morgan at first reviver would be a winning combination; it would be the worst nightmare for opposition coaches.

He does not have Raper’s cover defence and ball skills, or Beetson’s second phase play talent, but no player has ever dominated the middle like Tauamlolo has – and he is just getting started.

The argument as to who is the best big forward (hookers not included) ever to play the game is always good pub chatter, but statistically there is only one Jason Taumalolo. He stands alone at age 24.

He only needs to attain longevity to be the first non-Australian to be immortalised.

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The astute Cowboys management have put up $10 million to say that is just a formality.

You would think Artie and JR would approve.

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