Prop’s rise from scaffolder to Dolphins via Amsterdam
Joel Gould |
Dolphins forward Aublix Tawha has gone from scaffolder to the NRL via rugby union in Amsterdam after being recruited from a video of him playing for Yass Magpies.
Now, after his unique rise, the 26-year-old has become an indispensable man ahead of the home clash with North Queensland on Thursday night despite playing just three NRL games.
The Dolphins have a full-blown injury crisis, the likes of which the NRL has rarely seen, with forwards Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (broken thumb) and Mark Nicholls (concussion) to miss the Cowboys clash. It adds to an absentee list that already includes Felise Kaufusi, Max Plath, Daniel Saifiti, Thomas Flegler, Tom Gilbert and Sebastian Su’a. That is a full forward pack all absent.
“Two years ago I was back home in New Zealand scaffolding and playing local footy. Now I am here. It’s crazy,” Tawha said.
“I got an opportunity to play local footy in Canberra with Yass Magpies. Ben Te’o was at the Redcliffe Dolphins (as coach) at the time and saw my highlights and gave me the opportunity to play for him.
“I played Queensland Cup for the rest of that year and worked my way into first grade.”
While working as a scaffolder, Tawha said he “sort of gave up” on his NRL dream after growing up idolising dual international Sonny Bill Williams.
An unlikely stint in Dutch rugby union was the catalyst for a change.
“I spent a year in Amsterdam playing footy,” he said.
“It wasn’t until I went to Europe, when I was making rep teams, that gave me the inspiration to give it another crack.”
Former Queensland forward Te’o, now assistant coach at Brisbane after a stint with the Dolphins, recalled why he gave Tawha a lifeline.
“When I was coaching at Redcliffe I had an agent send me through a video of Aublix playing for Yass. He was pretty raw but I liked the footage and we brought him up,” Te’o told AAP.
“We put him through our training, upskilled him and he played some games in 2023. Then he did a full pre-season, had a cracking year and got an NRL contract.
“He is one tough hombre, one of the toughest I’ve ever seen.
“The things that stood out to me were his athleticism and his willingness in contact. He carried the ball to hurt people. Now he is full time he’s had an opportunity to really excel. They are starting him in games because they believe in what he can do.”
Tawha said Te’o had taught him plenty and now he is thriving in the Dolphins’ environment.
“It’s the best thing ever. This club has given me everything, from bringing me up here to helping me find a house,” he said.
“All the coaching staff are so good to me and are developing my game. All the boys have been unreal. It is like a brotherhood. I can trust everyone in the locker room.”
AAP
