Parramatta pack vs Jason Taumalolo is the most mouthwatering clash of the weekend
NO team hunts like a pack as well as Parramatta. But on Saturday, against that comes Jason Taumalolo, the most destructive forward in the game, writes PAUL KENT.
Opinion
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THERE was an old bouncer who worked the doors around Sydney and he was known throughout the industry as “One Man Out”.
Maile Haumono was a former Australian heavyweight champion but by the time belligerent patrons discovered this it was usually one day too late.
He was recently rediscovered in rugby league circles as the father of another significant bruiser, Solomon Haumono.
Maile’s nickname, One Man Out, arose because whenever he was rostered on it gave his managers the luxury of saving considerably on wages that night because Haumono did not need assistance, and so he manned the door all alone.
Whatever trouble there was at the door he could take care of by himself, and often did.
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It will be a similar story Saturday when the NRL’s modern version of One Man Out, Jason Taumalolo, takes on the Parramatta posse.
No team hunts like a pack as well as Parramatta.
Nathan Brown, Tepai Moeroa, Kenny Edwards, Manu Ma’u, Suaia Matagi, Siosaia Vave and, of course, the serial killer Beau Scott are the wild dogs of the NRL.
While the Eels have celebrated behind the silky skills of Mitchell Moses and Corey Norman, the truth to Parramatta’s success has been a pack hard and aggressive and light on sympathy.
The Eels hurt you and seem to enjoy doing it.
Against that comes Taumalolo, the most destructive forward in the game today.
Taumalolo was devastating against Cronulla last Sunday. He took on a pack filled with internationals Paul Gallen, Andrew Fifita, Luke Lewis, and Origin star Wade Graham, and finished handsomely on top.
In 70 minutes he ran for 234m from 22 runs, scored a try and busted through eight attempted tackles, your basic water into wine performance.
Against all those odds, Taumalolo led the Cowboys.
Taumalolo has picked up the slack all season in a side that, effectively, is without its two international front-rowers from last year. Matt Scott went down with a knee injury and James Tamou is playing for Penrith.
While he has some capable lieutenants like Gavin Cooper and Ethan Lowe, Taumalolo has been the chief threat every time the Cowboys have played.
What hope the Cowboys have on Saturday will come down to how Taumalolo performs and how effectively the Parramatta pack negate him.
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They are well aware of the job ahead. In fact, they pride themselves on it.
Each week the Eels like to hold a meeting before the game. Sometimes it might be around the captain’s run, sometimes a few hours before the game.
It might be the entire squad or just the forwards but always the challenge goes out to the pack. What are you going to do this week?
Here, Scott comes into his own.
Everybody that has ever played with Scott jokes that one day they will dig up a graveyard of bodies in his backyard. They are mostly joking, anyway.
Scott was not due back from a torn bicep until this week but came back early, the perfect time for the Eels.
His job Saturday is to lead collision on Taumalolo and get at the legs early. The rest of the Parramatta gang have a similar assignment.
Taumalolo ran for 108 post-contact metres last Sunday.
The good sides like to limit the good players to 40m, 50m tops, after they have crashed into the defensive line.
Taumalolo goes well past that. He carried four defenders with him when he scored against Cronulla, all going in high and staying there and all getting swatted away.
Parramatta, hunting as a pack, has done a better job than most against him.
Taumalolo’s two quietest games this year both came against them when he was reduced to his lowest minutes played, 48 and 50.
Come Saturday their job is to again gang up on Taumalolo and break him down.
His job is to line them up and go crash.
One Man Out.
Originally published as Parramatta pack vs Jason Taumalolo is the most mouthwatering clash of the weekend
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