NRL 2022: Siosifa Talakai ticks all the boxes to be in mix for NSW Blues
Despite his family heritage to Tonga, Sharks sensation Siosifa Talakai’s eligibility for the NSW Blues is clearcut and coach Brad Fittler admits the hulking centre is in the mix for Origin I.
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NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has been watching Siosifa Talakai run around in blue since he was a boy.
In 2010, playing for the under-13s Mascot Jets, Talakai scored five tries in his junior side’s grand final. On the sideline that day was Fittler.
More than a decade later, the NSW coach has confirmed he’s considering handing the Sharks wrecking ball another sky-blue jersey.
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Fittler spent Friday confirming Talakai’s eligibility for NSW state selection after one of the most incredible 40-minute performance’s ever seen on a rugby league field.
According to the NSWRL genreal manager of football Peter Parr, Talakai, despite his family heritage to Tonga and a previous performance for the Junior Kiwis, is qualified to represent the Blues.
“I’ve been in contact with the NRL this morning and I have an email from them saying that he’s eligible for NSW, his country of choice is Australia and he’s lived all his life here (Sydney), so his eligibility for the Blues is clear-cut,’’ Parr said.
In a frightening prospect for Queensland, it means that the boy who was born in Sydney and began playing footy with Mascot, could be lining up for Origin I on June 8.
“It’s second to winning the comp,” Talakai said when asked by reporters after the Sharks fifth victory about the prospect of representing NSW.
“I’ve always watched Origin growing up and I’ve always wanted to be in one of those jerseys. Hopefully I do my work and the big man (Fittler) picks me.”
Fittler, who invited Talakai to the Emerging Blues camp in 2020, said the uncertainty over the availability of injured outside backs Tom Trbojevic (knee) and Latrell Mitchell (knee and hamstring) would provide an opportunity for one or two new faces in his team.
“Given Tom Trbojevic is injured at the moment and Latrell has just had a knee operation, it’s great to see not only Sifa (Talakai) doing well but Bradman Best, Stephen Crichton, Campbell Graham, Kotoni Staggs, Zac Lomax and Jesse Ramien has been going great also,’’ Fittler said.
“Watching these young blokes put their hand up, this crop of next tier centres aren’t only providing relief for a coach, but it’s incredibly satisfying to watch.
“That next tier is standing up, winning games, it’s great.
“It’s not just what Talakai is doing, I think all of them are really delivering.’’
In a night few will ever forget, Talakai inspired the Sharks to a 32-0 halftime lead and eventual 34-22 win over Manly. His stats were stunning — two tries, two try assists, 241 run-metres, 11 tackle breaks, three line breaks and three offloads.
Sharks Craig Fitzgibon, a former NSW Origin assistant, lauded the powerful centre’s past month of performances, while supporting any call for the 25-year-old to be on Fittler’s radar.
“He actually wants to get better and he is still trying to get better,” Fitzgibbon said.
“I always believed in him as a player. Obviously he started as a middle in Round 1. Back row in Round 2 and then further out from then on. He has just got better and better.”
Talakai’s versatility was also praised by Storm legend and new Queensland coach Billy Slater.
“I just love how he can beat you in so many different ways,” Slater said.
“He can run straight over the top of you, but tonight he used his speed, his footwork and his passing. He set Ronaldo Mulitalo up with a try many centres wouldn‘t set up.
“He’s a great player and he’s starting to play some great football in the structure the Sharks are playing with at the moment.”
Is 40 minutes of mayhem enough to earn an Origin jersey?
-Damien McCartney
Blockbusting Cronulla centre Siosifa Talakai blew Manly off the park and played himself into Origin contention with a powerhouse first half display which proved the difference as the Sharks held off the fastfinishing Sea Eagles 34-22 at PointsBet Stadium.
The Sharks’ only points in the second half came from a Nicho Hynes penalty goal but it was enough to see the hosts prevail on Thursday night, thanks largely to Talakai.
The bulldozing former backrower stole the show with a barnstorming first half performance, racking up 193m, two tries, two try assists and nine tackle busts to help the Sharks go to the break up 32-0.
The Sharks flew out of the gates, scoring the opening try of the match with their first use of the ball after Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry- Evans made a meal of the catch, and was tackled in-goal. Talakai was the first to score. It was the beginning of a massive first half which propelled the No.4 into Origin consideration.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon admitted he didn’t see the Sharks’ enormous first half coming.
“We went to Melbourne last week and got a footy lesson. Normally with a five-day turnaround you barely train so it’s usually a scrappy affair,” Fitzgibbon said.
He praised Talakai and said the centre had worked hard to become a better footballer.
“ (Talakai) is a humble, humble guy working hard at his game. He wants to get better and he’s trying to get better,” he said.
“It’ll be hard to say he doesn’t have (Origin aspirations). He’s more than capable physically.”
SHOCKING START
The Sea Eagles suffered their worst start to the year, courtesy of Cherry- Evans dropping the kick-off in-goal.
Standing at the northern end facing a stiff breeze, Cherry-Evans made a meal of the take.
With their first use of the ball, the Sharks moved quickly to the left and Talakai crossed.
It got worse. The Sea Eagles conceded a penalty off the kick-off, and the score should’ve been 10-0 only minutes later when Will Kennedy bombed a certain try. Sharks No.3 Jesse Ramien put a beautiful grubber through the Manly line, and Kennedy only had to wait another moment before attempting to collect the ball, instead knocking on.
Sea Eagles’ centre Morgan Harper will be looking for any way possible to forget his first half. He was hooked at halftime, with Tolutau Koula moved onto Talakai.
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler conceded Harper was likely a “little underdone” leading into the game.
“In hindsight, and it’s a wonderful thing, but Covid left him underdone.
He won’t use it as an excuse though, he’s a real proud kid,” Hasler said.
THE TALAKAI SHOW
Talakai has shot into Origin contention with arguably the best individual performance of the season.
The Sharks No.4 had a double by the 15th minute, and then set up three tries by the 30-minute mark. His two tries were good, but his first assist – the third try of the night – was brilliant. The Sydney-bornand-bred Tongan looked to be heading to ground when he managed a miracle offload to Ronaldo Mulitalo, who crossed to make it 14-0.
The crowd didn’t have to wait long before he was in the thick of it again, when he sucked in two defenders, before a late pass gave Mulitalo a double of his own.
But there was still some first-half Talakai magic to come. Two sets later he set up Kennedy with a beauty off the outside of the boot to put the Sharks No.1 in under the sticks.
BACK TO LIFE
Despite the first-half drubbing and with rain beginning to fall at the start of the second half, the Sea Eagles began the second half as best they could, scoring two tries within 10 minutes of the break.
Cronulla’s weak right-edge form continued, with tries to Christian Tuipulotu and Taniela Paseka within five minutes of each other. More tries to Lachlan Croker and Haumole Olakau’atu gave Manly hope of a miracle.
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