Big man champing at bit for real thing
JASON Taumalolo is sick and tired of conditioning. He is ready to rip in.
Such is his hunger to be on the field he has requested to play in every pre-season fixture on the Cowboys schedule. The damaging lock has got his wish and will line up for his side’s final trial match against the Melbourne Storm.
According to the Tongan skipper he was meant to be rested last week – but not on his watch.
The more minutes he plays, Taumalolo said, the better he would be for the round one blockbuster with the Brisbane Broncos.
“I just miss playing footy. I love playing and getting out there and competing against other great players. That’s purely the reason why I asked if I could play,” he said.
“I’m sick of running around doing conditioning in the sun so now we finally get to put what we’ve practised into work.”
Taumalolo knows his standing in the game makes him a leader within the team. He has always been aware of that, and a C beside his name wouldn’t change anything.
But his credentials have gained a leg in the past year as he has guided a victorious NRL Nines campaign and put Tonga on the map as a legitimate force in international rugby league.
Leading the Mate Ma’a to a 16-12 win over world champions Australia was an even more impressive feat given the suspension of the team’s national board.
As arguably the best forward in the game, the 26year-old is looked to by the young crop of forwards at the club to set the standard.
He said the balance in the squad this season was exciting, with plenty of players capable of leading the side and plenty more pushing the senior stars to constantly be at their best.
“Morgo can take the boys to another level when he plays, and off the field he carries himself well. I think we’re pretty good with Morgo as captain,” Taumalolo said.
“I guess we had an ageing roster over the last few years, but it’s quite refreshing seeing the new faces and a lot of young boys come through the juniors. That can only be a good thing for us. Hopefully we can put some experience into them because we need a bit of youth in our team.”