State of Origin 2018: Sims realises Origin ambition

Tariq Sims will tonight realise his lifelong dream to play for the Blues after a litany of career threatening injuries.

Tariq Sims and Nathan Cleary during NSW training. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

Thirty-four Origin players. One rookie. Tariq Sims is a mostly fearless individual but he’s worried about something. About the whiteline fever getting the better of him. About the pulsating emotion doing his head in. About the possibility that he will run onto Suncorp Stadium tonight and become so blinded by primal aggression that he totally and utterly loses the plot.

“Biggest night of my life,” says the 28-year-old NSW forward making his Origin debut after a litany of setbacks including two broken legs and the dark days of thinking his lifelong dream to play for the Blues was never going to happen. “I’m feeling pretty cool about it at the moment because Freddy (coach Brad Fittler) shies us away from a lot of the really big hype. Everyone knows what Origin is. Everyone knows what it means. But to play on this field, in front of these people, is going to be an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I know what’s coming. I’m just taking it hour-by-hour until kick-off. And then I know it’s going to be on for young and old. I just have to get my head around the job I have to do. Which is to play good, strong football and not leave anything in the tank.”

Sims is an old-fashioned hit man. A human missile. He’ll be stone-faced and twitching on the interchange bench before Fittler throws him into the cauldron. And then he will let rip. “He’s a hunter,” Blues adviser and former enforcer Steve Roach says.

“He’s a great story. He’s a nice bloke. He has an infectious personality. Other guys want him as a teammate.

“He’s hung on and he’s finally gotten his chance. I want him to go ape. I want him to go after people.

“Some blokes get to this stage and don’t do the thing that got them here. His aggression and putting pressure on people is why he’s here.

“He’s just got to keep doing that. Cause some havoc. That’s the nature of the beast. I admire him for never giving up on the dream.

“You never know what can happen from here. If you blast off in Origin, you can be playing for Australia before you know it. You just have to know how to handle the emotion and energy. It’s like playing poker. You don’t have to show your hand straight away.”

Sims says: “I’ll run out there, sing the national anthem and come sit on the pine for a little bit. The major thing I’m worried about is coming onto the field and losing my head a bit and dropping the ball or giving a penalty away or doing something wrong like that.

“But when I get that interchange card to go on the field, I’m sure I’ll switch on. I’ve played big games. I’m sure I’ll be focused on my role for the team instead of trying to get out there and killing someone. I need to be aggressive, of course. But I need to be calm while I’m doing it.”

The mental battle has been immense for Sims. His body was his weapon but then his body broke. Twice. After the second fractured leg, he’s nearly quit league to do an apprenticeship. But he’s had this Origin dream for as long as he can remember. The dream to get in a Blues jumper and do what he will do tonight. If you’re familiar with Mark Geyer’s gung-ho approach to Origin, you have an idea where Sims will be coming from. Off the long run.

“I’ll be thinking about my family before kick-off,” he says. “I’ll take the time to think of every one of them, individually, for five or so minutes each. And then I’ll move onto the next one.

“I’ll think of the setbacks I’ve overcome to get here. All the tragic things that have happened in my career are gone now. They’re all over. They’ve been put to bed. Now it’s time for me to roll up my sleeves and get to work. To be the only first-time from either side is pretty unbelievable.

“I’m very humbled to be in Billy Slater’s last rep game. I’ve watched so many Origin highlights over the years. The ones that have always stood out to me are the tackles. The big hits. The first run from the kick-off is the ultimate for anyone who likes the contact side of the sport. That’s when you can send a message to your teammates.

“I’m on here and this is what I’m willing to do. That’s when you learn what sort of footy player and bloke you really are. I guess I’m about to find out.”