Timana Tahu-Andrew Johns Origin incident: Former Knights star opens up on death threats
Timana Tahu felt ‘blacklisted’ from representative football after the Origin scandal that rocked his career in its prime. 12 years later, he received the apology he’d craved from the NRL.
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It took almost 12 years but Timana Tahu has finally received an apology from the NRL for the way the game failed him amid the traumatic fallout of two racism scandals.
Tahu famously walked away from NSW camp in 2010 after Andrew Johns, who was an assistant coach, made a racial slur against Queensland great Greg Inglis.
A few months later, Tahu, who is of Maori and Aboriginal heritage, was accused of making a racist comment to a teenager during the Koori Knockout. It’s an accusation Tahu has vehemently denied.
While Tahu and Johns went through informal mediation over the Origin incident, the former premiership winner believes the game’s bosses at the time never acknowledged the deep trauma caused, not only personally but professionally.
“(NRL chief executive) Andrew Abdo and today’s Commission led by Peter (V’landys) said sorry. But it really should not have been on them to apologise because it didn’t happen under their watch,” Tahu said.
“But I am grateful that they did. Before then, there was nothing.
“Peter and Andrew know the full story.
“In the past there were a lot of traumatic moments, but I feel like I have come full circle. I feel happier with where I am today. “
Tahu’s protest against Johns rocked the rugby league world.
He remembers receiving daily hate mail, death threats and ominous warnings that his three children would be abducted.
“I thought I was going home and it would get swept under the rug but it was bigger than that,” Tahu said.
“I got death threats at the time from people wanting to kidnap my kids.
“I had to pull my kids out of school. We had to go into hiding because it was just overwhelming for me and there was no support for me or my family at the time.
“I was trying to protect my family, there was a lot of hate mail.
“That was the most terrifying bit was that my family was in danger after what happened, because for me, I thought I was standing up for equality but the job that I was in and the leaders at the time, not only in the NRL but at club land, there was a disapproval of what I did.
“It felt like I was doing something wrong even though I was the victim.
“That’s the thing about being the victim of racism, the victim is always the one that has to try and educate everyone, which is sad.”
To Tahu, it felt like he was painted as the villain after both incidents.
Tahu, who won a title alongside Johns at the Knights, never played for the Blues again.
And after requesting an extended break from club duties after the Koori Knockout he was released from his contract at the Parramatta Eels.
“When I left the 2010 Origin team over racism, I did lose a lot. After that I got told I was too much baggage, that I carry too much baggage,” Tahu revealed.
“My manager was saying ‘clubs don’t want to come anywhere near you’.
“My finances, my career went on a slant after 2010.
“It felt like I was black-listed from representative football. I never played representative football after that.
“Thank god Matt Elliott, who was coaching Penrith, brought me into the Panthers in 2011 and got my career back on track.
“But I left like the leaders of the NRL back then were not supporting me at all.”
Tahu believes he was abandoned by game powerbrokers in 2010 to muzzle Indigenous players from taking a stand against racial abuse.
“When I was playing there was racial abuse and discrimination but to stand up against it meant losing your job,” Tahu said.
“Our past players kept quiet. It was a culture of us trying not to say too much because you don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you.”
Tahu has no regrets about walking away from the Blues, despite what it cost him. Because now, Tahu believes, Aboriginal and Indigenous players can call out racism without the fear of retribution.
While claims of workplace racism within the NRL are rare, some of the game’s biggest stars still face abuse from people on social media.
Last year, South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell took a public stance against a torrent of racial abuse and reported a number of alleged perpetrators to the NSW Police.
Tahu has encouraged more players to speak out in a bid to shine a light on the problem.
“For me, I was getting bashed for standing up racism and equality. But these players today, they have a voice and the support of the NRL,” Tahu said.
“Social media can be a negative thing but also a powerful thing an they can use their platform to voice their opinion on racism and discrimination.
“They are stronger today than when I was playing even if there still might be some racism and discrimination in certain areas.
“But that is what I love about Abdo and V’landys, they have set rules and policies to stamp out these issues and are real advocates of equality in the game.
“Players today know they have the support of the game.”
After playing 196 NRL games, Tahu retired from rugby league in 2014, but has remained involved in the game.
And while Tahu will always be remembered for lifting a lid on racism in rugby league, the 41-year old is hoping his greatest contribution to the sport will come in his newly appointed role at the NRL.
An internal restructure at NRL headquarters, led by Abdo, to help improve the outcomes of Indigenous players both during and after their careers, has led to Tahu’s appointment as senior manager charged with creating elite pathways for former players to remain in the game post-retirement.
Aboriginal and Indigenous players make up 14 per cent of the NRL but that representation drops significantly once they hang up their boots.
Indigenous Australians are under-represented as elite coaches and in football departments across the NRL.
Before joining Newcastle as the NRLW coach, Ronnie Griffiths was the only Indigenous coach in the NRL system, having spent three years as an assistant to Michael Maguire at Wests Tigers.
Tahu is now devoted to unearthing the NRL’s first Indigenous head coach and helping people like Griffiths make history.
“Now I’m in a position where I can make change, thanks to Andrew and Peter. They have got me in a position where I can build elite pathways for our players and see some runs on the board,” Tahu said.
“We have a good representation of players but as soon as they finish there is a huge drop. We haven’t had an Indigenous head coach at a club from when the NRL started in 1998.
“We’re in 2022, we don’t have assistant coaches, anyone in key positions like recruitment areas and football managers.
“It’s the old saying, if you don’t see it you can’t dream it.
“My job is to try and find the next head coach or referee after Gavin Badger. Badger paved the way but who comes in after him?
“We’re in 2022 and haven’t identified these opportunities for players like Cody Walker at South Sydney or a Wade Graham at Cronulla. These are players that have leadership skills and roles, but where to after that, where do they go if they want to be a coach or a recruitment and list manager?
“I want to have the right pathways in place for them when they come through.”
And how long does Tahu think it will take before the NRL is ready for its first Indigenous head coach?
“I’d love to see in 10 years time the first Indigenous coach in the NRL,” Tahu said.
“There is a process, it’s a long process, that’s the timeline I’m looking at … there are players on the verge of finishing their careers but there is also a group of coaches in the NSW Cup and Queensland Cup that have aspirations to be a head coach.
“I want to make sure they can achieve that goal.
As for Tahu himself, coaching is a field he cannot see himself in … not now anyway.
Tahu, a former outside back, consulted as a specialist coach for Maguire before joining the NRL in February.
“I did enjoy being at the Tigers with Madge, I learned so much from Madge as a specialist coach, looking at the back five at the club,” Tahu said.
“But in my new role I’m also working on concussion and doing some tackle technique research too.
“I’m too busy at the moment to coach,” Tahu laughed.
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