Taumalolo out to unleash fury
JASON Taumalolo knows the onslaught is coming. Whether the Broncos are ready for the midfield fury he is about to unleash tonight is another matter.
It is a tribute to Taumalolo’s metre- eating mayhem that the Cowboys’ $ 10 million man is bracing for a Broncos assault in tonight’s demolition derby at 1300Smiles Stadium.
Physically and statistically, there is no forward in the code as destructive as Taumalolo – and now the 116kg hulk is paying the price for his dominance.
As his Cowboys comrades have fallen around him, chiefly front- row enforcer Matt Scott, who snapped his ACL against the Broncos in round two, Taumalolo has soldiered on.
In recent months, Taumalolo has detected more brutal attacks from NRL opponents.
It has forced the Kiwi Test wrecking ball to be wiser, with Taumalolo adding more diversity to his game.
“Teams are attacking me in numbers,” Taumalolo said.
“They obviously see me as a target and they want to get numbers on me. But if I can find a pass or an offload, it helps take the pressure off.”
The Broncos have 263 reasons to try and muzzle Taumalolo tonight. That was the number of metres he amassed last September as he sent Brisbane crashing out of the title race in the Cowboys’ epic 26- 20 finals win in Townsville.