Official Siosifa Talakai

beaver2233

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Article from CodeSports

Siosifa Talakai’s meteoric rise saw him go from the fringes of the NRL to a representative star in the space of 12 months, with many questioning just how quickly he got there.

The pressure of being an elite rugby league player can become all-consuming if you don’t dedicate time for introspection.

Inspired by his Sharks teammate Braden Hamlin-Uele who has been very public in his love of journaling, the Cronulla centre found picking up a pen and paper was the best way to take in what he had achieved.

“He’s been doing it for a couple of years, he was doing it back in 2020,” Talakai tells CODE Sports of Hamlin-Uele.

“He brought [journaling] out, talking to a lot of the boys we’re all really expressive in that sense.

“I’ve got a journal at home where I kinda write things down, especially when things get a bit too hectic or too much.

“It’s like the friend for when you find it hard to talk to your mates. A notebook is easier to just write down notes and stuff.”

Before this season began, Talakai took a moment to reflect on just how different his journal entries had become in the space of a year.

Ahead of 2022, they focused on convincing himself he was worthy of an opportunity at Cronulla and belonged as a part of their dominant forward pack.

Now, as one of the game’s most damaging outside backs, the messaging has changed. He wants to show the rugby league world how much more he can achieve.

“I knew last year I had a tough road ahead of me in order to make the starting side or even be in the 17,” he says.

“I had players like Wade Graham and Teig Wilton, Briton Nikora and Cam McInnes could play back row if we needed him to … there was a lot of competition so a lot of it was more motivational.

“This year is still being the best I can be, but it’s about what can I incorporate into me being the best, and what’s stopping me from being the best.”

Talakai doesn’t hesitate when asked if he can identify what is holding him back: His body.

In 2022, the Tongan international play 25 matches – 21 for Cronulla, two for NSW and two at the World Cup for Tonga – more games than he had ever played in a season.

Throughout that stretch, small injuries constantly wore him down. The one that particularly hurts was missing the Sharks’ semi-final defeat to the Rabbitohs that ended their season.

But every opportunity has given him a taste of the dream he had as a kid to be a professional footballer. Now he has taken on the mindset to match it.

“It was frustrating because I knew I could offer a lot more but just my body couldn't keep up with it,” he says.

“The best [players] in the world, they get any one-percenter done or box ticked to make sure that they're in tip-top shape. And that’s one thing that I felt like I still lacked.

“Coming into this season, I want to take that professionalism on and bring it into my game. It’s about maintaining form throughout the year and making sure my body is right and I stay on top of recovery and it doesn’t break down like last year.”

Talakai is hardly one of the most extroverted characters in rugby league. Yet there’s a growing sense of self-belief with every additional NRL game he plays.

However, the 25-year-old is no longer flying under the radar like he was until a chance encounter against Manly’s Morgan Harper last April thrust him into the spotlight.

He knows that everything he does, good or bad, will attract an extra layer of scrutiny. But he has the same plan as he always has: Let his footy do the talking.

“When people talk about you, don’t get me wrong, it’s mad. But it’s fake energy in a sense, because everyone starts to hype you up and you think you’re a lot better than what you are,” Talakai admits.

“For me, it’s nice, but I’ve been taught from a young that when people talk about you in that sense and see that you’re doing well, it’s not about embracing it. It’s more about when you hear that, you work even harder.”

On his side in 2023 to take his game to another level is spending a full pre-season training at centre.

His move there in 2022 was out of necessity as Cronulla dealt with a backline injury crisis. Now, he’s making it his own and he wants to match the success of teammate Nicho Hynes as the season draws on.

“Last year I didn’t get one rep in the centres,” he says.

“I was kind of developed to be a centre but then I moved into the back row. When I came back, it was a bit like second nature but I felt like I needed to get my reps in and I felt like I had to do all the prep still to nail the role.

“I understand my job a bit more now.

“We saw what Nicho could do last year in winning the Dally M, I thought, why can’t we win a premiership or be in the Dally M team for our positions?

“We’ve got a lot of potential in our club and a lot of teams underestimate how hard we work … earning that respect, I think that’s a bit of motivation around the club.”
 

Thresher

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Loved his hit on Ravalawa.

Felt like a square up for the two big hits he'd done on us earlier.
 
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ok so this year, what is your solution?

its easy to say get him out, not good enough, but what is the solution?
There isn't one. If we weren't in the hunt for a premiership, you'd cop the teething issues and blood Iro (when available). But we are so Talakai is absolutely the best option.
 

Gumby

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ok so this year, what is your solution?

its easy to say get him out, not good enough, but what is the solution?
i really think we need to go to market. For me
Someone like Brad Parker would be sufficient. Great defender and does enough with the ball. Won’t cost a lot either.
Don’t need a superstar just someone who can play a consistent role in the team.

Or try nab Peter Hiku or Jesse Arthurs.
 

Blix

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If Toby and Teig didn't tackle the same guy, Teig would have been able to cover Suli and Sifa, Su'A.
It was funny last week as well when people were saying that Sifa should have come in to help Moylan out on a 1 on 1 tackle….he can’t win, he comes in and the player passes it to Sifas man and they score….then people will say that he needs to trust his inside man….
 

snowman

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i really think we need to go to market. For me
Someone like Brad Parker would be sufficient. Great defender and does enough with the ball. Won’t cost a lot either.
Don’t need a superstar just someone who can play a consistent role in the team.

Or try nab Peter Hiku or Jesse Arthurs.
ok, so what do you do this year?

and dont ever mention brad parker again unless it is name one of the 3 worst centres in the game
 
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