Tuki over the moon ahead of debut

[TigerNeddyK]

Good to hear Cini was geeing him up. Dunno why Zac hasn't been given more of a shot in firsts.


Because he failed plan and simple .. when you get the opportunity you take it or you just disappear !

Unless your name is Moses. Then you just fail upwards your entire career !

 

[westy81]

Has something about him..

Can break a tackle and offload in traffic based on his KOE Cup games..something we lack in FG .. hopefully Simpkins has the confidence and permission to bring it to the team..

Hopefully he has a blinder of a game

 

[Geo]

All Black, white and gold: How New Zealand rugby let Wests Tigers’ giant escape
Christian Nicolussi
By Christian Nicolussi
July 17, 2021 — 5.54

Tukimihia “Tuki” Simpkins was on the All Blacks’ radar as a youngster after signing with Super Rugby franchise the Chiefs when he was 15 and holding brief talks with the Crusaders.

The 19-year-old forward will never close the door on representing the world’s most famous rugby team, but Simpkins cannot wait to realise another dream at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon: making his NRL debut with Wests Tigers.


For all the doom and gloom surrounding the Tigers and endless talk about the future of coach Michael Maguire, the sight of Simpkins taking on the Broncos, all 193cm and 108kg of him, will be a welcome boost for long-suffering fans.

It’s especially true when you consider Simpkins was a schoolboy rugby star and had Parramatta, Brisbane and North Queensland, who he signed with when he was 15, queuing for his services.

Simpkins’ father, Ngarimu, trained full-time with the Tigers one summer under then-coach Tim Sheens, only to move home to Rotorua to support his partner with Tuki, who was a newborn.

COVID-19 will prevent Ngarimu – the first XV coach at rugby powerhouse Rotorua Boys’ High School – attending Suncorp Stadium, but there will be more than 50 family and friends gathered around the TV to watch the special moment.

He said Maguire’s tough approach had huge appeal for his eldest son.

“‘Tooks’ played a lot of rugby growing up and there was definitely interest there [from New Zealand Rugby],” Ngarimu said.

“He was a No.8. We sat down with a few franchises, including the Chiefs and Crusaders. He was actually in the Chiefs system and played with them in the younger age groups.

“The dream was to be an All Black. The actual dream is to see him wear the silver fern, be it rugby or rugby league. That would be the ultimate.

“The pathways to being a professional player; [it] was always going to happen a lot sooner in the NRL.

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”

Tuki will never rule out a return to rugby but has loved the chance to develop his game at the joint venture. He is a decent chance of playing for the Kiwis one day given Maguire is the national coach. Maguire also handed another New Zealander, Junior Pauga, a 25-year-old centre, his NRL debut on Sunday.

“If I ever got an opportunity to [play for the All Blacks] it would be a hard decision but one I’d go back for, but I’m also loving my time at the Tigers,” Simpkins said.

“This is going to be such a special moment for myself and my family. I’m not trying to think about it too much and don’t want to play the game in my head before it happens.”

Simpkins had not seen his father in nearly two years until a couple of months ago, when he took advantage of the bye round to visit home. “It was a nice surprise,” Ngarimu said.

The Tigers need a win after a couple of awful performances, with their last-start effort against Souths labelled “garbage” by Maguire.

Suncorp Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Maguire and the Tigers with against-the-odd wins coming against Newcastle and Penrith during a couple of Magic Rounds, as well as a last-gasp victory against the Broncos at the start of 2019.

 

[Geo]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”

Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

 

[happy_tiger]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

 

[TheDaBoss]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

mmm eggs

 

[innsaneink]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

Google him

 

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

mmm eggs

Good source of protein intake ?

 

[Tim Sheens]

Has something about him..

Can break a tackle and offload in traffic based on his KOE Cup games..something we lack in FG .. hopefully Simpkins has the confidence and permission to bring it to the team..

Based on what I've seen he is very raw. Will do things that make you say "how did he do that?", will also do things which make you go "why did he do that?" Importantly he has X factor which is what we've been crying for for years.

Hopefully he can get through his first game unscathed and stay in the team. The thing with these kids is if they have a shocker early in their career, the coach has to take them out of the team, ala Cini. They don't know how to deal with it emotionally, so you have to give them time to recover. We don't have the senior playing group required to pull these kids along. Almost our entire squad is still trying to figure it out for themselves.

He should be sent out with two simple instructions for mine. Work hard playing your role in defence and the natural game that got you here in attack.

 

[TillLindemann]

The big fella looks a bit nervous in the sheds (not that I blame him). Good luck to him, I think he has a big future.

 

[TheDaBoss]

his offloads are so dangerous man

 

[Merlot]

sure it was Tuki that sat Haas on his backside 4min ,10 sec b4 1/2time,both came in low,

 

[Geo]

The kids a baby...

I was glad he was confident enough to use his offload in traffic..

Needs work but a promising debut IMO

Well done young fella..

 

[dazza65]

Agreed

He’s a big rawboned 19 yo kid playing in the forwards and I thought on the big stage he was really good.

He did put Haas on his ass once and several nice offloads.

Work to do but he could be a good un.

 

[weststigerman]

Looked good aside from that 5th tackle 6 again. Nice to have someone who can offload.

 

[dazza65]

Looked good aside from that 5th tackle 6 again. Nice to have someone who can offload.

Didn’t see it clearly, was that him or Twal?

 

[weststigerman]

Looked good aside from that 5th tackle 6 again. Nice to have someone who can offload.

Didn’t see it clearly, was that him or Twal?

I’d need to watch it again but I was pretty sure it was Tuki.

Can forgive him for it given it’s his first game.

 

[happy_tiger]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

Google him

Looks a bit like him , runs a bit like him , even has the offload like him ....remember Neil Piccinelli that played for the Steelers .....

 

[Merlot]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

Google him

Looks a bit like him , runs a bit like him , even has the offload like him ....remember Neil Piccinelli that played for the Steelers .....

Neil was a cane farmer Mr Sheens brought out of retirement 2 b in first NQ team ,a workhorse

 

[happy_tiger]

“Michael Maguire was a big influence on us, and I personally liked his hard-nosed approach to training and his high standards. With Tuki’s background, he was always going to react well to a coach like that.”


Nice Mr Tuki's Dad..

Sounds like he eats eggshells for breakfast .....

Google him

Looks a bit like him , runs a bit like him , even has the offload like him ....remember Neil Piccinelli that played for the Steelers .....

Neil was a cane farmer Mr Sheens brought out of retirement 2 b in first NQ team ,a workhorse

He was either from Ingham or Innisfail from memory ....