‘It’s a part of my uniform now’: Mystery solved as Tallis Duncan reveals why he starts games with headgear on but always gets rid of it

One of rugby league’s great mysteries has been solved, with a young star revealing why he always starts but never finishes a game with his headgear on.

Tallis Duncan has explained his tradition of starting a game in headgear but then taking it off. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

One of rugby league’s modern mysteries has finally been solved, with South Sydney young gun Tallis Duncan revealing why he always starts matches in his white headgear only to ditch it midway through games.

The 22-year-old has made a strong start to life in the NRL, with eagle-eyed fans quick to notice that he always starts games with headgear but finishes without it.

There have been some theories about why he does it, ranging from an ongoing dare to something so simple as comfort, and while the second one is close to the truth, Duncan says it goes all the way back to his junior days as a youngster playing footy in the park.

Tallis Duncan starts every match wearing headgear, but the South Sydney young gun never finishes a game with it on. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“My mum is the main reason why I wear it. That was a rule for her, so I had to wear it if I wanted to play,” he explained.

“I’ve worn the headgear since I was a kid, so I’ve been in the white headgear for a while now. I guess it’s a part of my uniform now along with my boots.

“It’s got to the point now where it feels comfortable to at least start the game in it, but once I’m in the heat of the game and in that mindset, that’s when I’m happy to rip it off and get to work.”

Duncan remembers wearing shoulder pads and every bit of protection he could find when he was a kid, and while he’s ditched most of those, the headgear is staying on until the day he retires.

“I had a bad knock when I was a kid, but I was wearing it before that,” he said.

“Like every mother does, she worries and stuff like that. It was always a pretty easy compromise for me to wear it if it meant I got to play footy.

“It was a battle with mum, but eventually she said I could get rid of the shoulder pads and all that when I was younger, but the headgear has always stayed with me.”

Duncan will ditch the headgear at some stage on Thursday night against the Storm. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

While there’s no chance he ever starts a game without the headgear on, Duncan stressed that there was no rule for when he took it off during games.

“It hasn’t always been at halftime. When I was a bit younger, I’d get really angry and fired up and that’s when I’d rip it off and start ripping in,” he said.

“With the speed of the game now, it can get hot in there because it’s a lot more physical, so I feel like I need to ditch it.

“It’s not so much that I think that because I’ve got it off that I can do certain things, but it’s a feel thing when I take it off. I don’t think I play any differently.”

Duncan has learnt a lot off Cameron Murray, who he says is the best lock forward in the NRL. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Now in his second season, the highly touted forward is starting to feel more comfortable in the side despite not playing in his preferred position at lock.

That won’t change any time soon with Keaon Koloamatangi and Cam Murray fit and firing, but he’s not complaining with Duncan keen to learn more off the rep stars leading into Thursday’s showdown with the ladder-leading Storm.

“I think Keaon has been our best this year, and I’d say without a doubt that Cam is the best 13 in the comp,” he said.

“Their styles are pretty different, but for me, I’ve got a wealth of knowledge there that I can lean on.

“I’m learning off those boys every day and trying to take bits and pieces from them and mix it with my own game to be the best player I can be.

“I couldn’t ask for a better situation as a 13.”