Tiger_Watto
New member
<big>**Is this Lote's last chance to win with Tigers?**</big>
Glenn Jackson December 13, 2011.
LOTE TUQIRI returned to the NRL, via Wests Tigers, primarily to win his second premiership. And he conceded yesterday that next year may well be his final chance to do so.
Tuqiri is off contract at the end of next year, having returned to the NRL amid much fanfare for three seasons after his stint in rugby union. He will be 33 by the time season 2013 arrives, and thus is no guarantee to score an immediate extension to his deal.
The 32-year-old says: ''I'll play on somewhere, definitely.'' But whether it is with the Tigers, or even in rugby league, he does not know yet.
''I've got to go into this season and assess how I'm going,'' Tuqiri said. ''I've just got to have a good start, not think about that too much and go from there. But I think I've got a fair bit of footy left in me, whether it's here or somewhere else, I don't know.''
Tuqiri has spoken openly of his desire to win again, after doing so in just his second season, with Brisbane in 2000, ever since he returned from Leicester Tigers to reinvigorate his NRL career with the Wests variety. And it remains the chief motivator.
''I've been that close over the last couple of years,'' Tuqiri said. ''I'm running out of time to get another premiership. But we've got the side here to do it.''
At present, many agree. The Tigers are favourites to win the title in 2012, having performed well in successive seasons and having picked up one of the game's best forwards in Adam Blair.
''It comes with the territory when you play in a good team,'' he said. ''That's what happens. A few times in my career, I've been playing in teams that are favourites. You've got to pump up every week to play. It makes me play better.
''If we stay injury free, we'll be hopefully there at the pointy end.''
Tuqiri endured a frustrating year, not just the defeat by the Warriors in the semi-final, but having suffered a number of injuries throughout the season. He spoke yesterday, after educating a group of school-children about the perils of social networking on behalf of club sponsor Trend Micro, with a fresh cast around his left wrist.
Tuqiri has just had surgery on a wrist injury suffered during the season, which is likely to prevent him from playing in any of the Tigers' trials. But he hopes that is the extent of his troubles. ''Hopefully it's all worked out and there are no complications,'' Tuqiri said.
''I'll be hopefully right by the start of March.''
The Tigers suffered this year because of some untimely injuries. But Tuqiri believes the flipside of that problem, the emergence of younger talent, would serve the club well next year. ''It was a frustrating year for the club too,'' Tuqiri said.
''We were touted as being up there with the favourites, and we were playing that way. The guys who came in were really good and they held up the team, so I think that'll hold us in good stead this year when we need back-up, because a lot of guys do have first-grade experience.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/is-this-lotes-last-chance-to-win-with-tigers-20111212-1orhf.html
Glenn Jackson December 13, 2011.
LOTE TUQIRI returned to the NRL, via Wests Tigers, primarily to win his second premiership. And he conceded yesterday that next year may well be his final chance to do so.
Tuqiri is off contract at the end of next year, having returned to the NRL amid much fanfare for three seasons after his stint in rugby union. He will be 33 by the time season 2013 arrives, and thus is no guarantee to score an immediate extension to his deal.
The 32-year-old says: ''I'll play on somewhere, definitely.'' But whether it is with the Tigers, or even in rugby league, he does not know yet.
''I've got to go into this season and assess how I'm going,'' Tuqiri said. ''I've just got to have a good start, not think about that too much and go from there. But I think I've got a fair bit of footy left in me, whether it's here or somewhere else, I don't know.''
Tuqiri has spoken openly of his desire to win again, after doing so in just his second season, with Brisbane in 2000, ever since he returned from Leicester Tigers to reinvigorate his NRL career with the Wests variety. And it remains the chief motivator.
''I've been that close over the last couple of years,'' Tuqiri said. ''I'm running out of time to get another premiership. But we've got the side here to do it.''
At present, many agree. The Tigers are favourites to win the title in 2012, having performed well in successive seasons and having picked up one of the game's best forwards in Adam Blair.
''It comes with the territory when you play in a good team,'' he said. ''That's what happens. A few times in my career, I've been playing in teams that are favourites. You've got to pump up every week to play. It makes me play better.
''If we stay injury free, we'll be hopefully there at the pointy end.''
Tuqiri endured a frustrating year, not just the defeat by the Warriors in the semi-final, but having suffered a number of injuries throughout the season. He spoke yesterday, after educating a group of school-children about the perils of social networking on behalf of club sponsor Trend Micro, with a fresh cast around his left wrist.
Tuqiri has just had surgery on a wrist injury suffered during the season, which is likely to prevent him from playing in any of the Tigers' trials. But he hopes that is the extent of his troubles. ''Hopefully it's all worked out and there are no complications,'' Tuqiri said.
''I'll be hopefully right by the start of March.''
The Tigers suffered this year because of some untimely injuries. But Tuqiri believes the flipside of that problem, the emergence of younger talent, would serve the club well next year. ''It was a frustrating year for the club too,'' Tuqiri said.
''We were touted as being up there with the favourites, and we were playing that way. The guys who came in were really good and they held up the team, so I think that'll hold us in good stead this year when we need back-up, because a lot of guys do have first-grade experience.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/is-this-lotes-last-chance-to-win-with-tigers-20111212-1orhf.html
