Tuimoala Lolohea Signs with WT
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- Start date
Nice article from just after his NRL debut.
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Dad's support lifts young star Tuimoala Lolohea
Last updated 05:00 03/08/2014
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He is filling Shaun Johnson's boots today. SARAH HARVEY on the rise of Tuimoala Lolohea
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There was always something special about Tui Lolohea.
The hours and hours he would spend kicking a ball in the driveway of his dad's house; his unrelenting desire to play league, to have a ball in his hands, to be in the team.
The tears when he didn't make the Auckland Rugby League team and the satisfaction when the next year he not only made the team but he was made captain.
A gift that means, at only 19, he is signed with the Warriors until the end of 2017 and his silky skills as a halfback and fullback are compared with the likes of Billy Slater, Shaun Johnson or Brad Fittler.
A gift that last year, his first with the Junior Warriors, saw him score 22 tries and play in all 28 games, then be named player of the year.
Skills that saw him make his debut for the Warriors first grade side last weekend and a gift that, he says, is largely down to his dad Paul.
It's always been just Tui and his dad.
Ever since his mum Rachel went to sleep, when Tui was just one, and never woke up.
Paul Lolohea, who is of Tongan descent, said his wife had a heart condition no-one knew about.
"It was just Tui and myself from then on. And 19, almost 20 years have gone and it still just me and him."
Fitting the demands of his young son's training and games with his job as a security guard was difficult.
"I knew that in the day time I had to be with Tui and then I would give Tui to my brother to sleep. I would come back in the morning to pick him up and bring him home.
"When I was security on the weekend I would be working and then come back at 7am because Tui's game would be about 9am.
"I remember driving from home to a game and three times along the way we had to stop on the road to get a bottle of water to put on my face because I started to sleep. I never gave up till we got there.
"I said to Tui, you run and play and after the game, when I have had a sleep for a little bit I am all right to drive. I remember waking up and Tui saying ‘Dad, I got player of the day'."
Even in those early days, Paul said he knew his son was something special.
"He would take the ball in his hand and it would never come off until I tell him to come and do something."
Lolohea made his debut last week coming on after about 60 minutes to replace Thomas Leuluai. He had been told by coach Andrew McFadden just the night before that he would be in the side and told to play his natural, free-flowing game.
Tui said he had clammy hands and found it hard to sit still on the bench as he watched the game in front of him and could taste how close his chance finally was.
"It was good to be out there finally. My dream came true just to get a debut. I thought I would be really nervous going into the game but with the boys around me, they just kept talking to me."
It was almost surreal, he said.
"My family is not a big league family, I just started playing league when I was five. Dad took me to play league and I have just played league ever since then.
"He's been a big part of my career so far. If it wasn't for him I don't think I would be the person I am today playing footy. He made a lot of sacrifice in his life just to take me to footy games and training."
Paul said it was one of those days he had dreamed about.
"[Tui] rang me and said: "Dad, guess what? I play tomorrow." I said "oh man" it was the best.
"It was one of the days I had been praying for to see Tui play with the Warriors. I was so, so happy to see Tui on the field."
"They were quite excited for me," Tui said.
"I know they have been there for me ever since I was little and it was just a huge honour to see them be there on my first game."
Paul said Tui still thinks about and talks about his mum.
"It was very, very hard. I think I am still single because it was everything about Tui and maybe with a relationship a woman would come and she might not like Tui.
"I wanted to make sure he will be ok and work for him so one day he will have a better life, because he is always, always there for me."
Paul said last father's day, after years of jokes at he and Tui's expense about the car Paul drove Tui threw him something.
"It was a key. I said ‘what's that for?' He said ‘You go and you pick that up, I bought you a car.
"He said you have that car and I have the old car to take to training.'
"He said ‘you deserve it dad, you are always there for me.' "
- Sunday Star Times
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Dad's support lifts young star Tuimoala Lolohea
Last updated 05:00 03/08/2014
\
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He is filling Shaun Johnson's boots today. SARAH HARVEY on the rise of Tuimoala Lolohea
\
\
There was always something special about Tui Lolohea.
The hours and hours he would spend kicking a ball in the driveway of his dad's house; his unrelenting desire to play league, to have a ball in his hands, to be in the team.
The tears when he didn't make the Auckland Rugby League team and the satisfaction when the next year he not only made the team but he was made captain.
A gift that means, at only 19, he is signed with the Warriors until the end of 2017 and his silky skills as a halfback and fullback are compared with the likes of Billy Slater, Shaun Johnson or Brad Fittler.
A gift that last year, his first with the Junior Warriors, saw him score 22 tries and play in all 28 games, then be named player of the year.
Skills that saw him make his debut for the Warriors first grade side last weekend and a gift that, he says, is largely down to his dad Paul.
It's always been just Tui and his dad.
Ever since his mum Rachel went to sleep, when Tui was just one, and never woke up.
Paul Lolohea, who is of Tongan descent, said his wife had a heart condition no-one knew about.
"It was just Tui and myself from then on. And 19, almost 20 years have gone and it still just me and him."
Fitting the demands of his young son's training and games with his job as a security guard was difficult.
"I knew that in the day time I had to be with Tui and then I would give Tui to my brother to sleep. I would come back in the morning to pick him up and bring him home.
"When I was security on the weekend I would be working and then come back at 7am because Tui's game would be about 9am.
"I remember driving from home to a game and three times along the way we had to stop on the road to get a bottle of water to put on my face because I started to sleep. I never gave up till we got there.
"I said to Tui, you run and play and after the game, when I have had a sleep for a little bit I am all right to drive. I remember waking up and Tui saying ‘Dad, I got player of the day'."
Even in those early days, Paul said he knew his son was something special.
"He would take the ball in his hand and it would never come off until I tell him to come and do something."
Lolohea made his debut last week coming on after about 60 minutes to replace Thomas Leuluai. He had been told by coach Andrew McFadden just the night before that he would be in the side and told to play his natural, free-flowing game.
Tui said he had clammy hands and found it hard to sit still on the bench as he watched the game in front of him and could taste how close his chance finally was.
"It was good to be out there finally. My dream came true just to get a debut. I thought I would be really nervous going into the game but with the boys around me, they just kept talking to me."
It was almost surreal, he said.
"My family is not a big league family, I just started playing league when I was five. Dad took me to play league and I have just played league ever since then.
"He's been a big part of my career so far. If it wasn't for him I don't think I would be the person I am today playing footy. He made a lot of sacrifice in his life just to take me to footy games and training."
Paul said it was one of those days he had dreamed about.
"[Tui] rang me and said: "Dad, guess what? I play tomorrow." I said "oh man" it was the best.
"It was one of the days I had been praying for to see Tui play with the Warriors. I was so, so happy to see Tui on the field."
"They were quite excited for me," Tui said.
"I know they have been there for me ever since I was little and it was just a huge honour to see them be there on my first game."
Paul said Tui still thinks about and talks about his mum.
"It was very, very hard. I think I am still single because it was everything about Tui and maybe with a relationship a woman would come and she might not like Tui.
"I wanted to make sure he will be ok and work for him so one day he will have a better life, because he is always, always there for me."
Paul said last father's day, after years of jokes at he and Tui's expense about the car Paul drove Tui threw him something.
"It was a key. I said ‘what's that for?' He said ‘You go and you pick that up, I bought you a car.
"He said you have that car and I have the old car to take to training.'
"He said ‘you deserve it dad, you are always there for me.' "
- Sunday Star Times
Nucky_Thompson
New member
@ said:
What a great story.
supercoach
Well-known member
@ said:
Gee I hope your right, we have been down this track before for no reward
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
@ said:
No we haven't, not like this. We've completely overhauled the playing roster to the extent that every marquee player we have is leaving. And we have a new coach whose been able to pick the replacements he wants literally from the day he started. That's rare. The only overhaul that comes close was in 03 with Sheens when we signed Prince, Hodgson, Payten etc. And we won a comp 2 years later.
hammertime
Well-known member
@ said:
I was only meh about his signings till now. The kid sounds like he has heart. Glad he is on board!
Fade_To_Black
New member
@ said:
Bloody oath. Tui is lucky to have his Dad, he seems like a great man. Welcome to our club Tui and Paul, hopefully great things are around the corner.
Welcome Tui, welcome also to your Dad and family when they arrive.
Wish you every success with the Wests Tigers, glad you are on board the bus and looking forward to your input along with the other new guys coming next year so we can change the destination board on our bus to "Finals here we come".
Wish you every success with the Wests Tigers, glad you are on board the bus and looking forward to your input along with the other new guys coming next year so we can change the destination board on our bus to "Finals here we come".
Nucky_Thompson
New member
@ said:
Wonder if tui dad coming to Sydney. Would love to see him involved with the club. Make it happen tigers.
momo_amp_medo
Well-known member
@ said:
Yeah I agree ….. he is all class!
Harvey
Well-known member
WESTS Tigers coach Ivan Cleary has pleaded with fans to be patient with new recruit Tuimoala Lolohea.
Lolohea will make his club debut against St George Illawarra on Saturday and start at five-eighth less than a week after being granted a mid-season NRL release from the Warriors.
He has signed until the end of the 2019 season and Cleary insists the Tigers faithful shouldn’t expect too much, too soon.
“We’re not going to see the best of him for a while, we’re not expecting him to perform miracles. He understands his role, but he’s going to have to work into it,” Cleary said on Friday.
“He’s had three sessions now today. It’s not a lot, but again, we just want him to turn up and be himself. I’m sure he’ll improve as he gets used to what we’ve got here.”
It is believed the joint-venture brought him over to be the club’s long-term fullback, however Cleary confirmed Lolohea would spend the rest of this season at pivot.
Since making his NRL debut in 2014, Lolohea has yet to string seven games in the one position as he shifted from fullback, centre, wing, five-eighth and the bench.
“Tui’s a kind of guy who’s played a lot of different positions already in his career so we’re looking to give him some solidity in that spot,” Cleary said.
“I think that’ll be good for him and good for us and give him a real chance to focus on a role and be comfortable in that role in this team. That’ll give him the best opportunity to be at his best.”
While Cleary is buoyed by the addition of Lolohea, he will be forced to field his fourth halves pairing in seven games as Luke Brooks continue to recover from a hamstring injury.
Jack Littlejohn will wear the No.7 jumper against a Dragons side that are likely to be boosted by the return of star duo Josh Dugan and Gareth Widdop from injury.
Dugan came through unscathed from a month-long absence in Wednesday’s State of Origin win for NSW, while Widdop has trained strongly after recovering from a knee injury.
Their inclusion means the third-placed Dragons start as raging favourites against the 15th-placed Tigers, who are hoping to avoid a four-game losing streak.
Cleary denied the Tigers were reaching a desperation point in their season.
“If we just look at the ladder or the end result each week, it’s more to it than that. We’re looking to develop some progression and parts of the game that we haven’t been doing well,” he said.
“If you don’t get that right, then you won’t get the results. It’s not all about the results for us. Certainly that’s what we want, but there’s building blocks we need first for that to happen.”
Lolohea will make his club debut against St George Illawarra on Saturday and start at five-eighth less than a week after being granted a mid-season NRL release from the Warriors.
He has signed until the end of the 2019 season and Cleary insists the Tigers faithful shouldn’t expect too much, too soon.
“We’re not going to see the best of him for a while, we’re not expecting him to perform miracles. He understands his role, but he’s going to have to work into it,” Cleary said on Friday.
“He’s had three sessions now today. It’s not a lot, but again, we just want him to turn up and be himself. I’m sure he’ll improve as he gets used to what we’ve got here.”
It is believed the joint-venture brought him over to be the club’s long-term fullback, however Cleary confirmed Lolohea would spend the rest of this season at pivot.
Since making his NRL debut in 2014, Lolohea has yet to string seven games in the one position as he shifted from fullback, centre, wing, five-eighth and the bench.
“Tui’s a kind of guy who’s played a lot of different positions already in his career so we’re looking to give him some solidity in that spot,” Cleary said.
“I think that’ll be good for him and good for us and give him a real chance to focus on a role and be comfortable in that role in this team. That’ll give him the best opportunity to be at his best.”
While Cleary is buoyed by the addition of Lolohea, he will be forced to field his fourth halves pairing in seven games as Luke Brooks continue to recover from a hamstring injury.
Jack Littlejohn will wear the No.7 jumper against a Dragons side that are likely to be boosted by the return of star duo Josh Dugan and Gareth Widdop from injury.
Dugan came through unscathed from a month-long absence in Wednesday’s State of Origin win for NSW, while Widdop has trained strongly after recovering from a knee injury.
Their inclusion means the third-placed Dragons start as raging favourites against the 15th-placed Tigers, who are hoping to avoid a four-game losing streak.
Cleary denied the Tigers were reaching a desperation point in their season.
“If we just look at the ladder or the end result each week, it’s more to it than that. We’re looking to develop some progression and parts of the game that we haven’t been doing well,” he said.
“If you don’t get that right, then you won’t get the results. It’s not all about the results for us. Certainly that’s what we want, but there’s building blocks we need first for that to happen.”
TopTiger
Well-known member
Ivan, we have been patient with Lolohea already given how long it took to announce his signing!! Hopefully, he plays well first up (couldn't do any worse than the last few Moses performances).
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
"Ivan Cleary has pleaded with fans"
love the sensationalism
love the sensationalism
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