Seven years after the broken leg that changed his life, Tariq Sims is back in Origin calculations

SEVEN years after Tariq Sims first broke his leg playing against Cronulla in his rookie season, the now 28-year-old takes on the Sharks again with his State of Origin dream reignited.

St George's Tariq Sims celebrates victory with the crowd after the Penrith v St George rugby league match at Pepper Stadium, Penrith. Picture: Brett Costello

SEVEN years after Tariq Sims first broke his leg playing against Cronulla, he takes on the Sharks again with his State of Origin dream reignited.

In what has become one of the game’s great fightback stories, Sims has turned back the clock in 2018.

The now 28-year-old is playing his best football since his early days at North Queensland before he suffered terrible back-to-back broken legs in 2011 and 2012.

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And St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has opened up about the private chat that put the tough-as-nails backrower back in the NSW debate.

When Joel Thompson left the Dragons for Manly, Sims marched straight up to McGregor and asked if he could return to the position where he made his name as the game’s most damaging young forward many years ago.

Sims has been in some of the best form of his career.

“That is absolutely correct,” McGregor recalled ahead of Friday’s clash, when Sims goes head-to-head with Blues incumbent Wade Graham.

“Tariq made it no secret.

“He said he would do whatever the team needed him to do.

“But he said, ‘I want to make that left edge mine’. That was his exact words.”

Ironically, it was against Cronulla near the end of his rookie season when Sims suffered his first broken leg.

At the time he was being talked up as a potential Kangaroo bolter.

Then the following year he’d put himself back in the Origin frame after only a handful of games before he suffered the same terrible injury.

From there his career never reached the heights many thought he was destined for.

Sims broke his leg at the end of his rookie season.

But after a stint at Newcastle, Sims has gone from strength to strength at the Dragons.

Out of necessity, McGregor played Sims in the middle when he came to the club.

But Thompson’s departure gave Sims his shot.

Brad Fittler has a stack of form backrowers to choose from and Sims is starting at the back of the line with the likes of Boyd Cordner, Tyson Frizell, Jake Trbojevic, Josh Jackson, Jack de Belin, Trent Merrin and Graham all fighting for spots.

Sims certainly didn’t do his Origin hopes any harm last week with a man of the match performance in the win over South Sydney.

“I’m making no bones about it, I want to be in that team,” Sims said this week.

“I want to be in the squad, I want to be a part of the Blues.

“But look, there is a lot of things I need to show Brad Fittler before I hopefully get picked.”

Sims came up with some bone crunching tackles against the Rabbitohs and his aggression has been a key part of his game.

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But McGregor believes his attack will only improve the more he gets to play alongside skipper Gareth Widdop.

When Sims first exploded onto the scene he was dynamite playing outside Johnathan Thurston.

“Tariq will do whatever the team needs, he is a very team first player,” McGregor said.

“He is open to improving himself, even at the age he is at.

“The good thing about Tariq is that he is accountable to what he does well or what he needs to improve.

“For me, as a coach, you don’t get much better than that ... that is what you want everyone to be like.”

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Originally published as Seven years after the broken leg that changed his life, Tariq Sims is back in Origin calculations