Talakai not ready for Sharks’ revival to end early
Margie McDonald |
Cronulla utility Siosifa Talakai didn’t waste any time making his presence felt in the Sharks’ sudden-death win over North Queensland.
He only spent 35 minutes on the field but racked up seven tackle-busts, a line break and 12 runs for 155 metres – including 72 post-contact – to top his team in being able to drag defenders the farthest.
The reasons for a fired up Talakai are two-fold: he was just born that way, and he’s feeling sentimental about his time at the Sharks coming to an end after seven seasons. The 29 year-old is off to the Perth Bears in 2027.
“I just didn’t want our season to end and it’s my last season here,” he said.
“I was prepared to do anything to keep our season alive. Fortunately the boys were also ‘on’ tonight.”
What wasn’t in the game plan was Talakai having to come off the bench so early – in the ninth minute when winger Sione Katoa exited for a concussion test, which he passed.
That meant Talakai was playing in the centres, before his second stint 10 minutes before halftime had him replacing lock Cam McInnes in the middle. He started the second half at prop.
“I just like to run hard, and tackle hard, making sure I make all my tackles,” he said when asked how he handled the switching in and out of different positions.
“It was a different dynamic for me, that’s for sure and definitely not in the game plan.
“I trained in the middle all week but I guess that’s a good thing for us that I can play multiple positions so I can fit in if someone goes down.”
Talakai found time during all that to score a try in the 19th minute placing the ball over his head.
Centre is not alien to him as he played there in his two years at South Sydney (2016-17) and all of 2022 and 2023 with the Sharks before reverting to the forward pack.
“I’ve played there before so I was pretty comfortable there (centre) knowing my role and what I had to get done.”
Talakai said he was excited to be joining the Bears but ever since he signed the three-year deal earlier this year he’d become quite sentimental about leaving Cronulla after 143 NRL games.
“It’s been an emotional year for me, but something I’ve been trying to take week by week and give my best to the team,” he said.
“When I get the ball it’s just tunnel-vision – I just run hard, try to break tackles and get quick play-the-balls.
“I just want to give it my all, give it my best. Nothing much goes through my head except just running hard.”
That modus operandi is just what Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon will want from Talakai again, when the Sharks battle the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night for a place in the preliminary finals – which would make it three years in a row for Cronulla.
“I’m just trying to make memories and have fun with the boys for as long as I can,” he said.
AAP