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Lama Tasi was great in his first go at playing extra time.
Good involvment and fitness considering...hes a keeper.
Our best for mine last night.
Good involvment and fitness considering...hes a keeper.
Our best for mine last night.
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#We Stand with ourJewish community# -
Don't get too used to him, he'll soon be poached by another club as a marquee player.Comment
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Aubusson and Bosden are the only truly lightweight backrowers on that list at 94 and 98 kgs respectively. Taka, Cherro and Guerra are all over 105kg. I think you'll find most backrows in the NRL will be around this weight if not slightly smaller on average.Originally posted by bondi-boy View PostComment
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First grade props: Jared Waerea-Hargreaveas, Jason Ryles, Martin Kennedy, Mose Masoe
Reserve props: Lama Tasi, Josh Ailomai (Knights NYC), Kane Evans (Roosters NYC)
First grade hookers: Jake Friend, Anthony Mitchell
Reserve hookers: Dean Blackman (Eels NYC), Glenn Dumbrell (Roosters NYC)
First grade backrowers: Brad Takairangi, Mitchell Aubusson, Boyd Cordner, FP Nuuausala
Reserve backrowers: Tom Symonds, Jack Bosden (Dragons), Ethan Lowe (Roosters NYC), Tinirau Arona (unsigned), Aiden Guerra (unsigned)
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Surely one of Arona or Guerra will be released with our current backrow depth as it stands.Comment
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Takarangi is a keeper. Our pack is looking strong for next year, but we need creativity in the pivots if our backs are to make good use of a dominant pack. Not to mention a decent fullback.
Chook.Comment
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how good do we look when we get an offload away! ryles and frank paul really gave us another leg in the back end of the game. we play much better when we offload the ball. if we can manage to add a few more offloads into our games, we will find continual success. we have the strike out wide to take advantage of it.Comment
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Could not agree more.Originally posted by Chook View Post
He has the skill sets and is an exciting prospect.
Halves combination may work itself out depending on how Carney is dealt with but fingers crossed for a united team next year.
Fullback remains a mystery as Mini just aint there anymore and should go out to wing.Comment
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I hope like heck he is not fb next year. He is a turnstile in defence. Hayne would have scored against most fullbacks last night when he made that break. But mini did not even lay a hand on him until he was over the line. At least most of the others would have got a hand too him. Mini has done this his entire career.Originally posted by section 5 View PostEmbrace the Hate! JCComment
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He sure is. After reading this article a few weeks ago in the lead-up to the Manly game, i realised what a valuable, honorable &Originally posted by Jacks Fur Coat View Post
passionate person/player POS lured to our club. Well done also to coach Smith for bringing him along nicely.
Fingers crossed, like the Paea's before them, the Tasi clan too will don the RWB. Enjoy the read....
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SITTING in an empty office at the Sydney Roosters headquarters, adjacent to the Sydney Football Stadium, you find yourself straining to hear Lama Tasi as he talks about the journey that brought him to last year's grand finalists.
He may be a fearsome figure on the football field his savage shoulder charge on Gold Coast's Greg Bird earlier this year has nearly 4000 hits on You Tube but Tasi is quiet and deeply respectful off it, two qualities he owes to an upbringing that still influences his every move.
Ask Tasi why he left Manly, where he was a member of the Toyota Cup team of the year last season, and he talks about family. Ask him his proudest moment as a footballer and he talks about family. Ask what he hopes to get out of the game and, you guessed it, he talks about family.
To understand why family is so important to Tasi, you only need to look at his background. He is one of seven children and his father Faasaei worked seven days a week in a factory to pay for Tasi and his younger brothers to receive a private school education at Ipswich Grammar School, the same school Roosters supremo Nick Politis attended decades before.
"I admire him," Tasi said. "I aspire to do what he has done. If my old man can do it, I can do it. I look at him as a soldier. As soon as Roosters said they were willing to look after my family, I made my mind up. Anyone who is willing to look after my family, I am all for it. Family is first in my life."Two of Tasi's younger brothers 17-year-old Tautalatasi and 15-year-old Sonny are also on the Roosters books. Tautalatasi is a promising rugby union player. But according to Tasi, Sonny may be the best of them all.
"He could be anything but he is still young," Tasi said. "He is massive. I always tell him he will be the best player if he keeps his head screwed on."
His brothers can take some of the credit for Tasi still being in Sydney. When he first moved down as a teenager, the homesickness almost got the better of him.
"At first it is obviously hard _ just because I was at a young age, just finishing school and coming down," he said. "Sydney is living in the fast lane. It's always on the go, the traffic is horrendous. It's adapting to the lifestyle. For me, it was a whole new ball game. I was trying to find my feet.
"The hardest part I reckon was going home and then coming back. That was probably the hardest thing."
What kept him going?
"I just thought at the end of the day I am doing it for (my brothers) and myself," he said. "Being the oldest, I can lead the way. Just go hard and hopefully achieve first grade."
He did that earlier this year against the Gold Coast, leaving his mark on Bird and giving his family a memory they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
"Honestly, I thought I was 18th man and that morning we woke up, had breakfast and Smithy (coach Brian Smith) said 'you're playing today'," Tasi said.
"I went back to my room and started screaming over the balcony. I was so happy. I called my mum and dad and started crying.
"It was just tears of happiness, I guess. It's what every kid dreams of. I think 20 or 30 family members came to the game. It was just awesome.
"Your whole life you think this is all you want. You just want one game to prove you can make it and you're worthy of first grade.
"My old man has said he has never been so proud. All he has ever wanted is for me to play first grade one day. He said from that day one. He is full of smiles."
Manly coach Des Hasler didn't want to lose Tasi.
But as Tasi tells it, Smith told him he would have a shot at first grade and he has been true to his word.
At Brookvale Oval tomorrow, Tasi gets the chance to prove a point to the Sea Eagles.
He also gets an opportunity to aim up against some of his former Toyota Cup teammates. He still catches up regularly with Daly Cherry-Evans, Michael Oldfield, Jamie Buehrer and Will Hopoate.
"I always said that hopefully one day I get to play Manly," the 21-year-old said.
"Just to show Dessie I can play first grade. Just a point to prove, I guess, to yourself." He smiles. "I will be nervous but buzzing just to kill some Manly players," he said.__________________Comment
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The thing the polonesians have is modesty! Until they prove themselves, the thing they always hold true is respect! respect can only be earnt by action. this is the quality that I like the most about our young forwards!Comment
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What a great read that was GMan - thanks for posting it here.
Lama Tasi - I'm so glad you play for the Roosters."The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
Thomas JeffersonComment
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Tasi was our best IMO does anyone have he's stats for the game I'm sure he made over 15 hitups and he's defence is awesome really drives he's shoulder inComment
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Tasi has been absolutely great since his debut. I honestly don't think we've had a bad game from him. Commitment personified tbhComment
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