Bulldoze or bust for tank
JUST cracking the century mark would be considered a productive day out for most NRL forwards, but Cowboys behemoth Jason Taumalolo is not like most forwards.
The 24-year-old is a special talent with his awe-inspiring combination of size, strength, and agility which has him on the verge of becoming the first forward since records began to break the 5000-metre barrier for the season.
According to Fox Sports stats, Taumalolo has already bulldozed his way to 4707m at an average of 196m per game this season and he could very well create history when the Cowboys tackle the Sydney Roosters in tonight’s grand final qualifier.
It dwarfs the 4486m Taumalolo made in 27 games last year with when he shared the Dally M medal with Storm halfback Cooper Cronk and he has only improved in this year’s finals series, running for more than 230m per game.
Those numbers paint a picture of Taumalolo’s incredible power, but the man himself said his only motivation was doing everything he can to help the Cowboys.
“I think the only time I get to see that stuff is when people are putting it up on Instagram and tagging me in it,” Taumalolo said. “I’m pretty sure after talking to a few of the coaching staff, my output this year has been a bit bigger than it was last year, but I honestly don’t see the difference. It’s just been more game time, I guess.”
Taumalolo is at his destructive best when he comes back in the second half, with his output jumping from 89.2m to 100.5m per game as he rolls through the tiring defence with his bruising carries and late footwork.
The Cowboys will need Taumalolo to maintain that rage in tonight’s preliminary final after they blew a 16-0 halftime lead in their previous clash with the Roosters.
Taumalolo still fought his way to a sensational 206m, but his impact was all but nullified after break as the Roosters dominated through the middle to claim a 22-16 victory.
Tuamalolo’s poor second half still burns and the 113kg colossus said he was determined to leave nothing in the tank this time.