Player agents beat up player

[fatprop]

This piece was in rugby heaven today, he even has his own website http://tonganterminator.com/

Tongan powerhouse in sights of NRL clubs as Waratahs put up the no vacancy sign

Rupert Guinness | February 11, 2009

AUSTRALIAN rugby risks seeing one the most powerful ball-running young loose forwards to emerge from Tonga slip through its grasp and into the hands of rugby league.

At 194 centimetres, 118 kilograms and at just 18 years of age, Lopeti Timani - the younger brother of Brumbies second-rower Sitaleki Timani, 22 - has attracted interest from the Bulldogs and the Roosters NRL clubs. Timani has trained with both sides in recent weeks, as well as with the Brumbies in Canberra, where there is not a shortage of back-rowers, but interest in him remains. Yet at the Waratahs, who have lost Wallabies back-rowers Rocky Elsom and David Lyons, the pathway may have reached a dead end.

NSW Rugby Union high-performance manager Scott Bowen said he had not seen Timani play and that the Waratahs' back-row roster in the senior and junior squads was full. The only way NSW could take him on, he said, would be if the Australian Rugby Union declared him as a "player of interest" - as he said the ARU had done - and effectively covered the contract costs.

Bowen said ARU high performance manager David Nucifora "indicated that he was a player of interest to the ARU and that they would be interested in seeing him play in one of the Junior Waratahs games".

Bowen said he suggested to Nucifora that a prime opportunity would be the Junior Waratahs fixture against the Australian Barbarians at the SFS on Friday week and before the Waratahs round two game against the Chiefs.

"We more or less left it with the ARU at this stage," Bowen said.

But that has left the door wide for rugby league to snare Timani's services, albeit to the shock of the rival code.

"I am a bit surprised. Sometimes you don't look in your own backyard. But it's not our issue. I am happy about that," said Bulldogs recruitment manager Peter Mulholland.

The Bulldogs and Roosters want more talks with Timani's management, but are in awe of his strength and athleticism. The Bulldogs are even poised to offer Timani a contract after seeing him play at both centre and back row in their under-20s side against Mount Pritchard last weekend.

"We are to the stage where we have to sit down and talk to his manager, Greg Keenan, this week about where we head and where we go with him," Mulholland said. "[We] have to see how he sits in with [salary] cap values and all that."

Timani was picked for Tonga's under-20s rugby world championship side last year, but could not play at age 17 because of the International Rugby Board's minimum age limit of 18.

"I didn't think he would adapt as well to the game. [Timani] did very well," Mulholland said of his game for the Bulldogs last weekend. "We were pretty impressed with what we saw of him."

Mulholland cited his "size" and "good feet at the line" as his attributes, as well as his impact in defence and attack.

"His adaptability in defence was superb," Mulholland said. "A lot of rugby union players will take the grapple rather than put the guy clean to the ground. They like to hold him up, turn him over and everything.

"This guy's defence on both shoulders was excellent. He didn't have any fear of driving in, which was great. In attack, mate ? he is a big unit. He is 18 years of age and hasn't grown up yet. He is very naturally strong. He has done a couple of weeks training with us. He was naturally strong in the gym. No problems with that at all."

Roosters forward Willie Mason said Timani had no trouble training with first grade.

"He trained with the squad, fitted in really well and did all our opposed games. He ran hard, tackled well ? those things are natural gifts."

The Roosters also believe he has a future in league. "He is an awesome athlete. I am sure, given time, he could make a fist of things," said Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan. "He looks good. His athleticism is good. Whether he is 18 or 34 I am not quite sure. We are going to have another look at him."

 

[fatprop]

A bit more trivia about this beat up the leaguie quoted saying that this guy is good is Willie Mason, who just happens to be managed by the same company as the "tongan terminator".

Rupert Guinness should be ashamed of himself

 

[rugbywhisperer]

While it is all lovely to be trying for a spot here in Aussie rugby, why is it the lad isn't interested in representing his own country.
It's all well and good that Aussie sides may get to vie for his talents but this is a great example of the player drain from the islands.
Personally I would like to see more restriction here in these cases. By all means play in the Sydney comp but in the end be available for Tongan selection.

 

[Lee Grant]

Geez, the way the "Subject" was worded I thought that a couple of agents had attacked a player.

If he's played for the Tongan juniors he should play for his country, but if he comes to one of the S14 franchises the ARU will no doubt put him in the Oz 7's team to lock him in.

Let him go to league like his brother did - and maybe we'll take him from them as we took his brother, but only if he is a genuine long term Oz resident and still won't play for Tonga.

 

[disco]

It's easy to be a wrecking ball at 118kgs against u/20's but it's a bit tougher in the big leagues.

 

[PhucNgo]

If he's as good as the hype he's got the wrong agent; he should have been trying for an article in the LA Times. The Rosebowl's over for another year and there are probably more than a few college teams looking for very large Tongans.

 

[Pfitzy]

Meh. Another beatup over probably nothing. Maybe he can run a ball but does he have the attitude for the whole game? His website is utter bollocks:

"Imagine a player with the size and speed of Jonah Lomu, the skill set of Sonny Bill Williams and the durability of All Blacks' hard man Jerry Collins."

So someone who can't defend a wing, has a shoulder charge and risky one-handed offload, and at 18 has no idea what "durable" means. : FFS