Timana Tahu Birthday: 16 October, 1980 Birth Place: Melbourne Height: 188cm",  Weight: 96kg Marital Status: Married Occupation: Football Player Preferred Position: Centre Previous Clubs: Central Charlestown Year Joined Knights: 1998 Country Rep NSW Rep Australian Rep

Born in Melbourne. Joined Knights 1998 from Central Charlestown. 
Represented NSW Under-19s 1998. Centre. 
First grade debut Newcastle v. Souths, Rd 12, 1999. 
Scored 18 tries in 24 matches in 2000
Has played for NSW and Australia.
Currently playing for Parramatta

Born in Melbourne and raised at Bourke, Tahu arrived in Newcastle six years ago and only started playing rugby leagueas a student at Cardiff High School. He packed himself up and moved to Newcastle before it was too late and booked himself into a youth hostel where a couple of friends were staying. He wasn't even playing league at the time (basketball was his passion) but it didn't take long for him to make his mark in the Cardiff High school team.  He came to the Knights' attention while playing for Central Charlestown and quickly rose through the club's junior ranks. He represented the NSW under-19s and NSW Combined High Schools in 1998 and the Junior Kangaroos last year. ` 
After three appearances in the top grade in 1999, Tahu burst onto the scene last year.  He displayed speed, strength and an array of skills on the wing and in the centres.  Coach Ryan said. `There's an enthusiasm in his game because he's had a little bit of success and nothing makes you enthusiastic like a bit of success. `He's got a talented centre playing inside him in Mark Hughes.
Tahu has improved with each outing this year and Darren Albert believes much of that comes down to confidence in himself and confidence shown by his team-mates. `It's not like he needs it because he's a talented young bloke but the boys have got right behind him and supported him,' Albert said. `It's important for the veteran blokes to get behind the younger players and keep their confidence up. This is the longest run he's had in first grade and he's only going to get better and better.' 
With an Aboriginal mother and a Maori father, he is eligible to play for both Australia and New Zealand. He could have played for the Kiwis or the New Zealand Maoris in the World Cup but turned down the opportunity. 
"I am not experienced enough or good enough yet to worry about playing at that level. At this stage I am really still sitting on the fence as far as deciding between Australia or New Zealand if I become good enough to play for either, because I don't want to have to make that decision yet. I just want to concentrate on playing well for the Knights."
Newcastle's teenage three-quarter Timana Tahu turned his back on a New Zealand jersey in the Anzac Test because he feels he is not ready for international football.  As of 1 April, 2000 he had 11 first-grade games under his belt, the 19-year-old centre or winger is eligible to play for the Kiwis or Australia because his father is a Maori and his mother is Aboriginal.  "I'm not shutting the door on the Kiwis but I'm still very young and very inexperienced and I think I need more time to get some experience before I consider playing international football," Tahu said.  "I have played for Australia in juniors but I'm still undecided about senior international football. I don't want to cut off my options for Australia or New Zealand just yet."
 

Timana Tahu had a taste of first grade in three games last year, showing glimpses of his enormous potential. His youth and inexperience produced a few handling errors under pressure but the 19-year-old outside back only began playing league five years ago and he has taken giant strides every year since then. Could mature into a dangerous attacking weapon out wide.

Tahu caught between two countries - Australian selectors will present Newcastle teen sensation Timana Tahu with a dilemma if they name him in their 22-man World Cup squad at the end of the season. And as crazy as that suggestion might have sounded at the start of the season, when Tahu was but a potential laden prospect waiting in the wings for a chance with the Knights, it is a genuine possibility after his eye-catching season in newcastle's backline. 
Tahu has already rejected advances from New Zealand selectors who have included him in their 42-man World Cup train-on squad. he has told them he does not feel experienced enough to handle senior representative football but he is also reluctant to commit to the Kiwis and shut the door for good on a international career in the green and gold. Tahu qualifies for both countries because of his Aboriginal-Maori heritage. 

The Big and the bashful - Big League '97
Shy 19 year old Knights winger Timana Tahu revealed after creating a club record last Saturday he would knock back a chance to play in the World Cup because he wasn't 'good enough". Meanwhile, powerful kiwi forward Paul Rauhihi, who was 26 before making his top grade debut last season and had suffered similar reservations, is being touted as Newcastles secret strike weapon. Tahu has been a revelation out wide for the Knights, his try against Melbourne pushing him past Darren Albert's previous club record with his 19th try of the season. tahu's parentage qualified his to play for Australia or New Zealand and the Kiwi's and Maori sides would clearly like him in their World Cup squads. His form in the past three games has been outstanding, reaping five trieds, eight line breaks and a phenomenal 494 metres gained at an average of 165 per game. But he has put off any declaration of his allegiance, effectively ruling him out of contention for New Zealand while he also remains mindful of the depth of talent in the Australian ranks. "Im not going to worry about the World Cup this year. I think it is too early. I have a lot to improve on." Tahu said. "If I played in the Maoris, the Kiwis could have automatically picked me if they were short on numbers. I don't want to be in that situation. I want to keep the door open for Australia and New Zealand but I just have a couple of things to improve and then maybe in two more years I'll make a decision. "You're at another level, playing against the best in the world. Its a lot harder and faster and I just don't think I'm that good."

Another star is born; Talent scouts tickled pink by Tahu's emergence : Herald. Jun 24, 1999. 
`JOHNS, Matthew, cuts out Hughes to Tahu. Tahu, Tahu for the corner. TRY!'
That sequence brought a massive roar from 16,500-plus Novocastrians watching their beloved Knights swamp North Queensland at Marathon Stadium on Sunday. But the roar signified more than just another Knights try. It was Timana Tahu's first try in what promises to be a long career. A closer pan of the crowd would have revealed two young blokes standing on the hill, punching the air, screaming and embracing in a series of hugs and backslapping. A bit strange? Well, maybe. But for Todd Buckingham and Craig Pearce that try meant more than any other. You see, they discovered Tahu. Without them, Tahu may never have played first grade, he may not have even been picked up by the Knights. The pair `found' him playing park football for Cardiff. They approached him, signed him up and pointed him in the right direction. Tahu did the rest. Buckingham and Pearce formed the National Sports Representative Team about three years ago.
They were two young blokes who thought they had an eye for rugby league talent and might just be able to make a dollar managing some kids from the country.
They formed a management company and travelled far and wide, visiting clubs, schoolboy carnivals and even back-street football ovals on the hunt for that `special player'. Unlike in the movie Jerry Maguire, there was no `show me the money'. They hope that comes later. The pair have earned little more than satisfaction. They now have 30 players on their books, predominantly Knights juniors, and have been picked up by high-profile company ProServ. ProServ are one of the big players on the management scene. Their clients include Gorden Tallis, Darren Lockyer and Matthew Gidley. For the past year they have shared their junior base. But unlike many of their management colleagues, Buckingham and Pearce have experienced the same highs and lows as the players they represent. Even Tahu's magic moment turned sour he left the field immediately after scoring that try with a torn quadricep and faces six weeks on the sideline. But that is what this pair is all about. `We are there in the good times and the bad,' said Buckingham, who combines his work with studying a PE degree and playing first grade with Waratah. `It's more than just about finding them a contract. We are a support network. Most of our blokes are either just out of school or from the bush. `We help find them jobs, accommodation, even help with their training programs. We end up being a mate more than anything.' 

Teen winger comes of age 14 Feb 2000 Newcastle Herald 
IN the hustle and bustle of Newcastle's dressing-room at half-time on Saturday night, coach Warren Ryan sought out teenage winger Timana Tahu and welcomed him to first grade. The Knights had established an almost unbeatable 20-0 lead over the defending premiers and the room was buzzing. Ryan hadn't missed the efforts of the 19-year-old on the left wing, who made some incisive runs and took an Andrew Johns cut-out pass to score in the corner in the 36th minute. Tahu's game against the Storm was only his fifth in first grade after three starts last year and Ryan said he was growing in confidence and composure with each appearance. `Somewhere along the line a young player needs to get a landmark game under his belt and I think that might have been it,' Ryan said. `I welcomed him into first grade at half-time. I told him "that's really first-gradestuff". He's had a few little hairy moments and I think he needed a game like that.' 
Coach Ryan had Tahu learning both right and left centre, earning experience in all positions. Tahu admits that his all-round game was one of his weaknesses and he is doing his best to rectify that.  "Last year I was making a few breaks, and now I've got to learn how to finish them off a bit better". 

Timana's first two touches turned to gold  - 21 Feb 2000,  Newcastle Herald
While Darren Albert was the flavour of the night his counterpart on the wing for Newcastle went close to setting some sort of record himself. Albert posted four but 19-year-old Timana Tahu also scored a couple of tries himself. And it was almost `Two-touch Tahu'.   Tahu never even got to touch the ball in the first half. He hardly even got to see the ball up close and personal, but when he finally got the opportunity to show what he could do he made every post a winner. It took six minutes of the second half before Tahu was thrown a pass. But when he did get hold of the ball he showed he was just as adept as Albert at planting it over the tryline. While Tahu got to see a little bit more of the ball in the second session, it took until the 65th minute for him to get another chance ? and again he scored. Tahu did not finish the game after he rolled his ankle but he did enough to show he had adapted to the speed and skill of first grade. 
 

"I'm still working on my ball handling and on playing right centre, which requires getting the ball in the right hand so I can use a left fend."

Difficult initiation has Tahu primed  -  2 Feb 2000,  Newcastle Herald
Knights winger Timana Tahu was thrown in at the deep end last season during the club's injury crisis. The rookie did not exactly sink but was a little out of his depth at the top level and needed to take a step back to first division to find his land legs. Fast forward a few months and Tahu, who has since represented the Junior Kangaroos after Australia won a Trans-Tasman tug-o-war over his services, is ready for another dip in the big pool.
The solidly built 19-year-old has been named on the left wing for Newcastle's first game of the NRL season against the Northern Eagles at Gosford on Sunday, having recovered from a hamstring strain which kept him out of the pre-season trials. `He was nearly right to play in the (first-division) trial at Anna Bay but he didn't, so hopefully he should be pretty right,' coach Warren Ryan said. `You can never be 100 per cent sure with a hamstring but all the reports are good and you can't wait forever. `He's running very well and he's put the hammer down a couple of times in some opposed work at training, so we'll go with him. `He's had a taste of first grade and I must say he looks very sharp.' Tahu played three games in first grade last year and scored his first try in a win over North Queensland. But he was cursing himself after an unhappy night at Leichhardt Oval when he spilled a couple of balls and had trouble staying on his feet. `One experience out there, even if it's a bad one, can help you a lot in your development and along your learning curve,' Ryan said. `Sometimes you have to push someone forward, sometimes prematurely, but I think he'll be a far different proposition this time.' 

Timana shows utility ability; LEAGUE 2000; Mar 2, 2000. 
KNIGHTS coach Warren Ryan has plans to make Timana Tahu an even more versatile player.  A sensation on the left wing in the first four games of the season, Tahu has been dropped for Saturday night's game against the Broncos but will still travel to Brisbane with the team tomorrow to cover last-minute injuries or illness to the starting outside backs. Tahu will eventually move back to first division, where Ryan wants him to learn how to play on the other side of the field. `If we move him around a bit and get him a bit of experience in all the positions, we've got a very valuable first-grader in-waiting,' Ryan said. `And we will have injuries during the year, there's no question about that, and we'll have blokes out through rep football.'
Tahu's recovery from a shaky start to be one of Newcastle's best performers against Auckland last week attracted praise from senior players like Tony Butterfield and Matthew Johns. `I thought "T" was put under a lot of pressure early and he had every right to be a little bit nervous after that,' Butterfield said. `But he showed great maturity in getting his mind in order and he bounced back magnificently for us.'
Johns said Tahu was now one of the boys. `You can just tell that he feels well and truly entrenched in the side,' Johns said.

I'll make up for it; Tahu vows to forget shocker;  Herald.  Apr 22, 2000. 
Timana Tahu can't forget last week's humbling performance against the Sharks and will use it as motivation against Parramatta at Marathon Stadium tomorrow. The 19-year-old centre's dream season turned into a nightmare at Toyota Park when he forced two passes which led to run-away tries to Sharks winger Mat Rogers and bombed two tries of his own by losing the ball over the line in tackles. But Tahu hopes to regain his confidence and rediscover his touch in tomorrow's important game against Parramatta. Knights team-mate Matthew Gidley had a similar experience against the Sharks on the same ground four years ago but picked himself up, dusted himself off and matured into an Australian Test centre. `I was pretty depressed but through the week I've just tried my best to forget about it,' Tahu said. `I didn't feel like getting up after Mat Rogers scored that second one but Matty Johns came over and told me just to jog back to the line and him and Joey told me not to worry about it. `Doogs (Adam MacDougall) and Joey have told me about their stories when they first came up into first grade. That's made it a bit easier but I've still got it in the back of my head. It's hard to just forget about something like that when you played so badly. I've just got to try to make up for it when we play the Sharks again, if I'm in the first grade side, and try to have a big one on Sunday in the meantime.'
The Knights and Eels are two of four teams on 11 points in a logjam in sixth place but Parramatta have been in better recent form. The Eels have won the past three meetings between the clubs, have only lost one of their past six games, Newcastle have won only one of their past four and will be without playmaker Andrew Johns and strike weapons Gidley and Robbie O'Davis. Tahu and Darren Albert, who have scored 10 tries each to be equal with Rogers atop the NRL leading tryscorers' list, will form a potent combination on Newcastle's right edge. Matthew Johns said Tahu was too talented a player to let last week's performance bother him. In terms of his career, he's going to look back at it as nothing,' Johns said. `No-one escapes. No-one goes through their career as a cleanskin, without things like that happening, particularly a bloke like him who plays that kind of game. Irrespective of last week, there's a lot of players from other clubs who've got big raps on him so people know how talented he is.'

Timana hunting Alby's record -  02 Aug 2000,  Newcastle Herald
Teenage wing sensation Timana Tahu will get the chance to break the Newcastle Knights' season try-scoring record after being recalled to first grade for the qualifying final against Melbourne Storm at Marathon Stadium on Saturday. Tahu, 19, and 1997 grand final hero Darren Albert won the battle for the wing positions, with rugged 20-year-old Lenny Beckett missing a place despite exceptional form. 
Coach Warren Ryan called on advice from assistant coach Michael Hagan, football manager Dave Morley and statistician John Davies before naming his 17-man squad. He also studied videos and individual statistics compiled by Hagan and junior coach Craig Miller, which gave Paul Rauhihi a spot on the bench alongside Sean Rudder, Peter Shiels and Steve Simpson. Prop Glenn Grief joined Beckett as a stand-by player. Danny Buderus resumes as hooker after missing the Bulldogs match to recover from concussion suffered against the Tigers the previous weekend. 
Ryan said Tahu and Albert got the nod because of their height and jumping ability. Tahu stands 188cm and 93kg, with Albert 10cm taller than Beckett at 183cm. Tahu missed the 28-16 win against the Bulldogs last Saturday with a hamstring injury which allowed Albert to resume in the top grade in his third match back from a broken foot. Albert holds the club record of 18 tries in a season which he sealed with the grand final match-winner sevens seconds from the bell against Manly in 1997. Tahu has already scored 18 tries this season. `It is difficult to fit 19 players into 17 jumpers,' Ryan said. `It's impossible. It's tough. That is why I decided on the four-man panel to make sure. `I read the team out at training and everyone felt for the two who missed. The toughest decision was leaving Lenny out. `But what we effectively have are the two best jumpers, the two tallest wingers of the three. `It is very important to have a height advantage on the wings, especially for the bombs. `Both Timana and Albert can dunk a ball over the crossbar and Albert is a proven big-match performer.' 
Ryan said it was important to have a squad bigger than necessary going into the play-off series and that Beckett and Grief could possibly get their chances if the Knights continued through to the grand final. Recalled Timana chasing record `It is no use calling up players who have not trained for three weeks,' Ryan said. `You have to have a squad that can cover all the positions in case of injuries.' 

Johns fears losing Tahu; Sunday Telegraph. Feb 11, 2001. 
NEWCASTLE captain Andrew Johns has urged the Knights not to waste any time in signing brilliant young centre Timana Tahu to a long- term contract.
The gifted 20-year-old is only on a one-year deal with the club and Johns fears he will become one of the game's hottest prospects by the end of the season if he remains unsigned. "He could well be a superstar by season's end and it would be a disaster for us if he was to go to another club," Johns said. "I know Hages (coach Michael Hagan) and Sarge (football manager Mark Sargent) are thinking along the same lines but the sooner he is tied up the better."
Sargent admitted Tahu, who scored a club record 20 tries in first grade last season, is presently the club's number one priority for next season. "We have made it pretty clear to Timana's manager that we want to sit down fairly soon to discuss his future," he said. "He is strong, quick and explosive and the scary part is he is only going to get better."
Asked if the Knights will be in a position to negotiate a long- term deal with Tahu given the financial restrictions of the salary cap, Sargent replied: "I am pretty confident we are in a good position to re-sign him. "But we also have a few other guys off contract we will want to re-sign as well."
Tahu's form in the club's two pre-season games has been exceptional and it is little wonder the Knights are planning to move quickly to tie him up. Meanwhile, the first grade squad have been given the weekend off by Hagan in the countdown to next Sunday's opening-round clash against Northern Eagles at Marathon Stadium.
"We had a really good session yesterday and everyone is really putting in," Hagan said yesterday. "They are having a couple of days off before we get back into it next week."

Knights chase Tahu's signature
The Newcastle Knights are confident of re-signing boom centre Timana Tahu for another three years after opening negotiations with his manager on Wednesday.
The Knights also held promising talks with former Parramatta winger Eric Grothe Jnr, who hopes to kick-start his career with either Newcastle, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers or the Bulldogs. Twenty-year-old Tahu signed a 12-month contract with the Knights for this year and will be one of the hottest properties on the open market if he remains unsigned after the NRL's June 30 anti-poaching deadline. But Knights football manager Mark Sargent said the club wanted to secure Tahu's services as soon as possible to keep the wolves from the door. "The tamper-free date might still be some time off, but Timana is one bloke we'd like to get sorted out and signed up as quickly as possible," Sargent said. "We've made some progress today and hopefully we're not too far away from reaching an agreement with him."  Sargent and coach Michael Hagan met with Grothe and his manager in Sydney yesterday to determine if the Knights were genuinely in the hunt.
The Roosters are tipped to win the race to sign him, but Sargent said Grothe had not made a decision either way and was "not averse" to coming to Newcastle.
"We weren't there to make any formal offers or anything like that," Sargent said.

Three year deal
He is well aware there were other clubs and another code who were interested in him. He knows he could have been offered considerably more money - if he had held out until after June 30 when rival clubs were legally allowed to approach him. But none of that interested Tahu - he didn't want to leave, pure and simple. With his contract up for renewal at the end of this season, he told manager Darryl Mather: "Do a deal with the Knights because I don't want to leave here." 
"I feel comfortable here and I am really enjoying my football playing alongside so many great players. Why would I want to go anywhere else when I can play alongside players like Joey (Andrew Johns) and Gids (Matthew Gidley) and learn so much from them? Maybe I could have got more money elsewhere but I didn't want to go down that track. "I am happy with what I got and knowing I am going to be here for at least another three years."
Timana Tahu has agreed to a three year deal that will tie him to the Newcastle Knights until the end of the 2004 season. Tahu, who is off contract at the end of the season, had been linked with rugby union but is expected to put pen to paper this afternoon.   Tahu stated earlier in the season his need for a lengthy deal so he could get his young family in a stable environment. He showed signs of his potential when he broke Darren Albert's tryscoring record last season. 
 

Timana Tahu: I've played cricket, basketball, rugby league and it is my first grand final ever. We won and I've scored a try so it doesn't get any better.

State of orgin
Tahu yesterday declared himself a New South Welshman, turning down New Zealand in an all-out bid for Origin selection.  Tahu was eligible for Australia, New Zealand and the New Zealand Maori in last year's World Cup but chose to play for no-one so as not to prejudice his future Origin chances. He finally gave the answer that officials on both sides of the Tasman had been sweating on for two years after being asked to make a decision before tomorrow night's Origin selection meeting.  "I spoke to [New Zealand coach] Gary Freeman yesterday and I will not be playing for the Kiwis against France during the Origin series," Tahu said yesterday. "I've decided not to play for New Zealand for the next couple of seasons.  "I really want to play for New South Wales. It is my dream to pull on a blue jumper in a State of Origin. I told Gary and he said he supported me 100 per cent." 
Tahu revealed that he might be out for several weeks if he missed out on selection. He has compartments syndrome and will undergo surgery during the Origin recess in the domestic season.

Injury - chronic cramping
Last season (2000) Tahu was in pain towards the end of every match with cramping calf muscles.  It was happening about 10 minutes at the end of each match.  Tahu says that he was just a bit lazy by not getting rubs and doing stretches like he should have. Tahu could be sidelined for up to six weeks after he plays against Northern Eagles at NorthPower Stadium. Tahu has been booked in for surgery to relieve him of compartment syndrome - chronic cramping and fatigue in his calf muscles - and the recovery is expected to take between four and six weeks. The 20-year-old centre needs the surgery before the end of the season because the condition is extremely painful. The Knights believe it would be more beneficial for Tahu and the team that he have the surgery sooner rather than later, ensuring he will be fit and firing come finals time.   The NRL will go into recess again for the State of Originso Tahu should miss a maximum of three matches for the Knights. 

True blue Tahu -  15 Jun 2001,  Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Knights centre Timana Tahu has turned his back on New Zealand and will pursue his ultimate dream of playing for Australia. And Tahu found an ally yesterday in Australian coach Chris Anderson, who the put the 20-year-old flier in the race for remaining Kangaroo tour spots behind incumbent Test centres Matt Gidley and Ryan Girdler. Tahu, who is second on the NRL's tryscoring table with 12 behind tearaway leader Nathan Blacklock (17), has a Maori father and Aboriginal mother and is eligible to play for either country. He has been targeted by the Kiwis but revealed yesterday that he had spoken with New Zealand coach Gary Freeman and rejected the overtures. `I think he has accepted that I will not be playing for New Zealand,' Tahu said. `I think after the talk we had he will focus on somebody else to play in the centres or on the wing for New Zealand.' 
Tahu has been torn between a virtual walk-up start in the New Zealand side and backing himself for the much more difficult task of winning Australian selection. But after making his senior representative debut for Country Origin in their 42-10 thumping of City in Bathurst on Friday night, he has taken the first step towards the green and gold. After the initial shock of being involved in such a high-profile game, Tahu fired up in a backline sparked by internationals Brett Kimmorley and Scott Hill to show that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level. `I never thought I was good enough to be there, but when I was playing the game I felt really comfortable,' he said. `I really want to play for NSW. `That is my main goal at the moment.' 
Anderson applauded Tahu's decision to commit to Australia. `He's backing himself to play in the strongest side, which is good,' Anderson said. `If he thinks he can get in it, that is a good rap on the kid.' Anderson said a Kangaroo spot was not out of the question for Tahu. `He's a good footballer, so he has as much chance as anyone else,' Anderson said. `There are two or three young centres coming through, so it is a matter of if he gets an opportunity, I suppose.' 
How far the Knights progress this season will also play a part, especially if Tahu can shine in the big post-season matches. `Normally the further the teams go at the end of the season, the better chance a player has got, and the Knights are certainly in the running at the moment,' Anderson said. `I haven't really spoken to the selectors since the City-Country game, but if you have played at that level and done okay, that will help. Any representative stuff is good. It certainly won't hurt his chances.' 

Butterflies drive Tahu into retreat Knights 2001: Bound for glory; Herald. Sep 24, 2001. 
TIMANA Tahu has developed a reputation as one of the most dangerous players for Newcastle, but nerves play a big part in his game and he intends to lock himself away from any grand final hype. Tahu, 20, admits to being one of the most nervous players in the team and he relies heavily on the experience of senior players Robbie O'Davis, Andrew Johns and Adam MacDougall to get him through big matches. The thought of playing in his first senior grand final at such a tender age is daunting for the gifted winger and centre, and he wants to run and hide before coming out on Sunday night at Stadium Australia against Parramatta. 
`I'll just stay at home all day, well basically all week, and not come out unless it is for training,' said Tahu, who will have to break his routine on Wednesday to travel to Sydney for the grand final breakfast on Thursday morning. `As soon as I go out and see people and they start to talk about footy I get really nervous, so I will just have to stay in the cave.' 
Tahu faced the biggest decision of his career this season when he had to choose between New Zealand and Australia for his future at international level. Born to a Maori father and an Aboriginal mother, Tahu is eligible to play for both countries but chose Australia. Tahu seeks solace from the senior members of the Knights. `Doogs and Robbie O spend a fair bit of time with me,' he said. `Robbie is really good at calming people down. Doogs on the other hand gets you fired up because all he talks about is bashing people and making big breaks and running over the top of everyone. I room with Robbie a lot when we go away and he keeps me very relaxed, and he's a good bloke to be around.'

Timana lives out a winger's dream NRL GRAND FINAL 2001; Herald. Oct 1, 2001. 
TIMANA Tahu sought words of wisdom from fellow wingers Adam MacDougall and Daren Albert to calm his nerves before last night's NRL grand final triumph over Parramatta at Stadium Australia. The shy, softly spoken speedster, who turns 21 next month, scored a try and had a mistake-free night in Newcastle's 30-24 victory, his first grand final in any sport. Tahu said MacDougall had given him valuable reading matter for the bus trip to Sydney on Saturday and Albert told him he was wearing a lucky number on his back. `I was heaps nervous earlier on in the week, but the older fellas like Joey, Robbie and Billy calmed me down,' said Tahu, who could be a bolter in the Kangaroo squad. `Doogs gave me a book on the bus down yesterday about how to control your nerves, how to be calmer and more confident in yourself. He highlighted a lot of pages for me to read, and that helped me build my confidence up and be prepared for this game. Alby told me about wearing the lucky number two jumper. He played excellent in it in '97 and scored the winning try, and when I scored tonight it just kicked us clear a little bit. `I was on my knees when Joey's kick hit me on the shoulder, and I was looking around for the football and it fell into my arms,' he said. 
Tahu said he was more nervous before the previous week's preliminary final against the Sharks because he was desperate to make it to a title decider. I was okay tonight. Last week, my legs were a lot shakier,' he said. `In the warm-up I was going too hard and expecting things and my legs felt like jelly when I ran out. I put all that down to just wanting to get to the grand final because once I got here to the grand final I was heaps relaxed. I've played cricket, basketball, rugby league, and this is my first grand final ever. `We won and I've scored a try, so it doesn't get any better.' 
Tahu said he was sure the Eels would target him early on, but he fielded a cross-field bomb early on and never looked like faltering. `Just trying to get into the game was the most important thing for me,' he said. `It's really hard for wingers sometimes because the game goes away from wingers a little bit. But I knew Parramatta were going to target me because I was pretty dodgy in defence, and I knocked a few balls down, so they put a couple of bombs up to test me, but someone was watching me from above.'
 

Tahu is a mystery man. `If Buttsy (Tony Butterfield) was chasing him at training, he'd just run fast enough to make sure he didn't get caught,' Andrew Johns told 2HD when asked to assess Tahu's speed.

Operation Timana   -  04 Dec 2001,  Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Knights excitement machine Timana Tahu could need surgery to correct a nagging groin injury that he suffered before the grand final win over Parramatta nine weeks ago. Tahu, who narrowly missed selection for the Kangaroo Tour, had a bone scan yesterday to determine the full extent of damage he suffered to his adductor tendon during the semi-finals. Knights medical specialist Dr Neil Halpin said groin surgery to reattach the tendon would sideline Tahu for between six and eight weeks. That would almost certainly rule the 21-year-old backline speedster out of the World Club Championship against Bradford Bulls at Huddersfield on February 1. 
Knights internationals Ben Kennedy (hand and shoulder) and Adam MacDougall (ankle and groin) are already under a cloud for the WCC and Tahu's availability will be determined by the results of the scan. `He has partially torn the adductor tendon away from the pelvic bone,' Dr Halpin said. `It's an extraordinarily common injury among rugby league players ? the sort of thing that Matthew Gidley, Joey (Andrew Johns) and Ben Kennedy have all done before. `He did it two or three weeks before the grand final and played with it in the grand final. `It hasn't settled down with rest and the inactivity of the off-season and now that training has resumed he's having trouble running freely. `We'll have a look at the scan this week and see what Timana wants to do and go from there.' 
Coach Michael Hagan said Tahu suffered the injury against the Roosters or Sharks during the finals campaign. MacDougall, who is holidaying on the Gold Coast, returned home from the Kangaroo Tour last week with groin and ankle problems and said he could need surgery to repair both. Kennedy, who broke the fourth metacarpal in his hand during Australia's Second Test win over Great Britain, will allow that injury to heal without a pin being surgically inserted. But a shoulder injury he suffered during the 30-24 win over Parramatta in the grand final is still causing some concern. `I saw Neil today and I'm still undecided about my shoulder. I'll probably get a second opinion about it this week and weigh up my options from there,' Kennedy said. 

Tahu has surgery -  5 Dec, 2001
Newcastle Knights utility back Timana Tahu has undergone surgery to repair his damaged groin. A bone scan by Knights medical staff revealed significant structural damage to both sides of his groin, Tahu electing to undergo surgery in Sydney rather than face the possibility of enforced rest. Tahu's operation was performed by Knights chief medical officer Dr Neil Halpin, who expects the 21 year old to be back training in around eight weeks. 
Earlier in the 2001 National Rugby League season Tahu had surgery on both of his calves to counteract compartment syndrome, from which he came back to help the Knights to win the 2001 NRL Premiership. Tahu is targeting the Knights World Club Challenge clash against Super League titleholders the Bradford Bulls as his return to the field, the game scheduled for February 1 at McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield. 

Tahu puts hopeful kiwi's out of misery -  23 March 2002,  Newcastle Herald
Knights try scoring maching timana Tahu has pledged his allegiance to Australia.  Tahu, who is elligible to play for Australia or New Zealand because his mother is Aboriginal and his father is Maori, has rejected past approaches from the Kiwis but had always left his options open.   NewZealand wanted Tahu, then only 19, for their 2000 World Cup squad but he declined because he said he was not experienced enough and felt uncomfortable about the idea of playing against Australia.  The 21 year old speedster, who narrowly missed kangaroo Tour selection last year, has declared he only has eyes for the green and gold - if, or when, Test selectors call his name.  "I think New Zealand have pretty much given up on me, Since I had a talk with Gary Freeman last year, I don't think they're really interested in me any more."  Tahu said.
Tahu has been tipped to break into the state of origin arean with NSW this year but said his main concern was holding down his position in the diamond flecked newcastle backline.  "I'm not really focused on rep footy.  Playing first grade with the knights and improving my game is my only priority at this stage." said Tahu, whose first taste of senior rep football came with Country Origin last season.  "I'd be happy if I made country origin against this year.  That would be another big highlight of my football career."

Black Knight for storm -  05 May 2002
NEWCASTLE winger Timana Tahu produced the most compelling argument for his first NSW jumper with a match-winning performance against Melbourne yesterday. As the Knights spluttered in the second half, Tahu was the game-breaker, scoring the crucial second-half try to stop the bleeding to go with his two first-half efforts. But it was his ability to run his side out of trouble that caught the eye, a precious commodity in Origin football. "I thought Timana Tahu was outstanding for us and I thought our halfback (Andrew Johns) controlled things and got us back in the game when things weren't looking that flash," said Knights coach Michael Hagan. 

MacDougall's loss is Tahu's gain for NSW -  Sports Watch,  15 May 2002 
Newcastle wingers Adam MacDougall and Timana Tahu are like chalk and cheese. While MacDougall loves to make his feelings known, Tahu prefers to go quietly about his business. MacDougall's game is based on strength and power, Tahu's is about pace and grace. Funny how MacDougall's loss is now Tahu's gain. MacDougall's season-ending knee injury opened the door for Tahu to snare the NSW right-winger's role against Queensland for State of Origin I at Stadium Australia next Wednesday. And the 21-year-old says he's finally ready to meet the challenge. Last year he wasn't, Tahu asking selectors to give him more time to develop before considering him for representative football. "I was a little bit too young then," Tahu said. "I just wanted to get a couple of years of first-grade experience and obviously I've been playing now for three years. "One of my main goals this year was just to make country, and to make NSW is a really big achievement for me." 
Tahu sealed his Origin call-up with a hat-trick against Melbourne two weeks ago and a solid display in Country's loss to City last Friday night. He said he'd gained considerable confidence playing outside Matthew Gidley, Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus in Newcastle's 2001 premiership-winning team. "Playing in a grand final and with all those guys has definitely made me a better player," Tahu said. He feels at ease with Johns and Buderus, as well as Knights forwards Ben Kennedy and Steve Simpson, in Blues camp with him. But he doesn't plan on relying too heavily on his clubmates. "I'm just going to do my own thing. The main thing is to be calm and not to think about the game too much, just wait until game day," he said. "If it keeps on playing on your mind too much, you'll become a nervous wreck and lose all your energy and you mightn't play as good." 
Gidley was a controversial omission from Phil Gould's side, but Tahu believes he can form just as potent a right-side combination with Parramatta's Test centre and fellow Origin rookie Jamie Lyon. "Me and Jamie have been rooming together all week and we've become pretty close mates," Tahu said. "We haven't really talked about Gids missing out, but we've had a couple of training sessions already and we can sort of read each other's plays." Tahu is looking forward to marking Lote Tuqiri in Origin I, a player he concedes to have had his measure in the past. "He's a bit too strong for me, the big fella," Tahu said. "I've just got to try to keep on my toes. "Lote's probably now the best winger in the game with MacDougall out for the season. "I played with Chris Walker in the Junior Kangaroos so I know pretty much how he plays." 

Tahu inherits Blacklock's record rate - Newcastle Herald, 8 June 2002
The resignation of Dragons winger Nathan Blacklock leaves Knights flier Timana Tahu with the best tryscoring strike rate of current NRL players. Blacklock scored 100 tries in his 117 games, a rate of 85%, and Tahu had been second behind him with 48 tries from 62 matches (77%). Of players who have played at least 50 first grade games, Tahu's make now leads the way from the likes of Steve Menzies (61%), Nigel Vagana (59%) and Adam MacDougall (58%).

Tahu wants to make the No.1 winger - Sportal, 19 June 2002 
Test winger Lote Tuqiri is bigger and stronger than his Queensland State of Origin teammate Robbie O'Davis, but Timana Tahu still prefers to mark the giant Fijian."I'd rather be marking Lote because Lote is probably the number one winger in the game at the moment and he's been bringing out the best in my game and I really enjoy playing against Lote," NSW winger Tahu said yesterday."He's a really good player and really strong and if you end up having a good game against Lote you know you're going alright."O'Davis, Tahu's teammate at Newcastle, was the surprise selection in the Maroons line-up announced Monday for the series decider at Stadium Australia next Wednesday.Another Knights winger, Adam MacDougall, loved testing his skills against rugby recruit Wendell Sailor and it appears Tahu is no different in wanting to play against the best.Tahu may not have many chances left to go up against Tuqiri if the Brisbane winger opts to join Sailor in the rugby ranks.Tahu has big raps on Tuqiri but that doesn't mean he believes O'Davis will be kept quiet in Origin III."Robbie O, he's just really fit and really strong," the 21-year-old said."He does a lot of hit-ups for us. That's what I think he'll be doing, running the ball up and giving the forwards a rest."Tahu said he was delighted to see O'Davis get the call-up after his well-documented 22-match ban in 1998 for taking banned substances."He's a really good character. Me, him and Anthony Quinn do a lot of bombs at training and Joey is normally the kicker," said Tahu."I'm really happy for Robbie O to get the call-up for Queensland because with all the problems he's had in the past, it's really good that he's back up at that rep level and playing again."O'Davis hasn't pulled on a Maroons jersey since the drawn third match in the 1999 series.He has played two of his 11 Origin matches on the wing and Tahu reckons he'll be fine away from his familiar role at the back."I think wing will be heaps easier for him because in fullback you run all over the place. He'll be getting pretty energised to come inside."He might leak a couple out but hopefully he doesn't." 

Tahu ponders what might have been - SMH, June 27 2002
Newcastle winger Timana Tahu has vowed to return to State of Origin football next year despite suffering a bout of stage fright at the Olympic stadium last night. In the wake of NSW's 18-18 draw with Queensland, which meant the Maroons retained the State of Origin shield, Tahu could only ponder what might have been in a game he would rather forget. "Maybe I could have put the ball down a lot easier," Tahu said of the incident midway through the second half when video referee Chris Ward deemed he had dropped the ball when attempting to score a try. "Maybe the result would have been different then. But that's all they are, maybes."
With the Blues leading 12-8 Tahu had the chance to put the game beyond doubt when rushing for an open tryline on the end of some slick work from Andrew Johns and Trent Barrett. Tahu, however, attempted to place the ball down over the line with his left hand, losing control of it to blow the opportunity. Only two minutes later Queensland's Shane Webcke charged over the line at the other end of the field to put Queensland back in the match. "Originally I was confident I had got it down. When I saw the first two replays I thought it was a try," Tahu said. "I probably had a bit more time than I thought. I should have put the ball down with two hands or just slid over the line".

Gamble on Australian jumper pays off for Tahu - 08/07/2002,  Newcastle Herald
Timana Tahu turned his back on a New Zealand Test jumper last year, instead backing himself to win a place in the Australian side. That gamble paid off last night when the 21-year-old winger was selected in Australia's Test team to play Great Britain at Aussie Stadium on Friday night. Tahu was in the rare position of being eligible to represent either Trans-Tasman nation through his Aboriginal-Maori heritage. He could have been forgiven for taking the easier route and playing for the Kiwis. But his decision was vindicated when he was one of four Newcastle Knights players included in the starting side to play the Lions. Newly crowned Australian captain Andrew Johns said Tahu, fellow Test debutant Steve Simpson and hooker Danny Buderus all deserved to be selected and was confident they would play well. 
Tahu agonised over his decision to pledge allegiance to either Australia or New Zealand but said last night's phone call from Knights official Stephen Crowe made it worthwhile. `As a young rookie coming into the NRL, it was one of the hardest decisions I ever made in my life,' Tahu said. `But to be picked in the green-and gold-jumper, my heart's beating at a thousand miles an hour just thinking about it. `I can't believe it. It's a dream come true. `Crowey told me they were picking the team at 6.30 and he'd ring me, but 6.30 came, there was no phone call, and I was sitting on the lounge thinking they must have picked a couple of other wingers and centres. `I was a little bit shattered, but then Crowey rang about seven o'clock and I was back. I'm in. I'm alive. I'm like a little kid in a lolly shop.' 
Tahu's position in the Test team seemed assured before the third State of Origin game a fortnight ago, but some well-documented mistakes had him second guessing himself. `All the talk was either I still had a chance or I might have played myself out for making a couple of mistakes in Origin III,' he said. `That was all going through my head when I was sitting on the lounge, and I started to think that if I didn't get picked tonight I'd still take it as a positive because I could learn from those mistakes and in the long run it would make me a better player. `But obviously the selectors showed faith in me, and I'm not going to let them down.' 

Timana hot on Vagana's heels Slick finisher one try behind Dogs centre;  Herald. Aug 22, 2002. 
NEWCASTLE backline flier Timana Tahu has edged within one touchdown of NRL leading tryscorer Nigel Vagana with three games left in the regular season. 
But Tahu, whose double in Newcastle's 28-14 win over the Eagles at EnergyAustralia Stadium last Saturday night took him to 17 for the season behind the Bulldogs' Vagana (18), is not chasing personal milestones. The 21-year-old NSW and Australian winger spent time at right wing and left centre against Manly, scoring tries on both sides of the field. His first came midway through the first half when he leapt above Eagles winger Robert Miles to mark an Andrew Johns cross-field bomb, then he stretched out to score early in the second half after taking a pass from Ben Kennedy and breaking Albert Torrens' attempted tackle. 
Tahu set Newcastle's single-season tryscoring record of 20 in 2000, and he came close to that mark with 16 last year. His brace against the Eagles took him past that mark, and Vagana is the only other NRL player in front of him. `It is in the back of my mind a little bit because I'm getting close to 20 again, but I'm not really worried about it. If I get it, I get it,' Tahu said. `Now that I'm playing in the centres again, my head's really screwed on in defensive mode at the moment. Whatever else comes after that with tries or what-not I'd be happy, but it's just a bonus. Hages (coach Michael Hagan) told me during the week that he was going to put me in the centres at some stage, so I just wanted to be really solid with my defence. The boys all had their heads on, and we defended very well.' 
Tahu has scored 56 tries in 70 first-grade games for the Knights at a strike rate of 80% the best of any player in the NRL who has played at least 50 senior matches. He also leads the NRL in line breaks with 25. Tahu's switch to the centres added thrust to Newcastle's left-edge attack against the Eagles, and he will stay there for the blockbuster against Brisbane at EnergyAustralia Stadium tomorrow night. Hagan named Tahu at left centre, with Anthony Quinn outside him on the wing, ruling out a direct clash with his Australian Test team-mate Lote Tuqiri. Tahu and Tuqiri were Australia's wingers in the record 64-10 rout of Great Britain last month and would have gone head to head if Tahu stayed on Newcastle's right flank outside regular centre partner Matt Gidley. 
Tahu sat out Newcastle's 44-0 shutout of the Broncos in the corresponding game last year while he recovered from surgery to correct compartment syndrome in his legs. `I missed the game last year with my calves and I was pretty disappointed I didn't make that game, so I'm really looking forward to this one,' he said. 
`They'll have Michael De Vere and Chris Walker out on my side if I play on the left side again, but we'll have to see what Hages does.' 
Tahu said the Knights were determined to play to their potential against the Eagles after their disastrous performance against the Sharks the previous weekend. It was just as important, he said, to keep the momentum going with a high-quality effort against a Brisbane side staring down the barrel of three straight losses. `We went through the same situation last year when we lost to Wests Tigers, but we went on to win the grand final and everyone forgot about that game,' he said. 
`Everyone's already forgotten about Cronulla. We've moved on. Last week we were all really focused, the training sessions were great, and the results were there to see against Northern Eagles.' 
Hagan considered his options on where to play Tahu tomorrow night and chose to partner him with Quinn and back-rower Ben Kennedy, who attacks on that side. Kennedy, who spent three months on the sidelines recovering from a broken shoulder, is back in the starting side after coming off the bench and playing 50 minutes in his comeback match against the Eagles. `It was certainly something we thought we could do during the course of the game last week, but probably the circumstances this week mean Timana will start on the left side with BK,' Hagan said. `I think they will form a pretty good combination there with Anthony Quinn. It's a pretty strong trio there for us at the moment.' 

Pain of defeat mars Tahu's tryscoring feat -  23 September 2002,  Newcastle Herald 
Timana Tahu broke his own club tryscoring record on a day he would rather forget as the Knights bowed out 38-12 to the Roosters in the semi-final at Aussie Stadium. Tahu crossed in the 72nd minute to take his season tally to 21. He surpassed his 2000 tally of 20, but that was the furthest thing from his mind after the game. He made several uncharacteristic errors in the first half that ultimately cost the Knights any chance of building a lead and putting the Roosters on the back foot. `When you play in the centres, you expect to create something,' Tahu said. `I was rushing into things instead of playing in the line and looking around. `I was trying to release the ball as quickly as I could to Quinny (winger Anthony Quinn) and I made three mistakes or something like that. `I was really dirty on myself because the forwards were going forward for us, defending really hard, and here I was down in their half dropping the ball and doing stupid things.' 
Tahu dropped the ball over the line in the 20th minute when the Knights were leading 6-0, and five minutes later Chad Robinson scored to get the Roosters back to 6-6. An opportunity for a half-time advantage went begging in the 35th minute when he snatched at an attempted intercept from a Craig Wing pass. `If we got a couple of tries on them, and I was really confident we could have, it might have been a different game by half-time, so I was really disappointed with that first half,' Tahu said. `I told myself in the sheds that I'd turn it around in the second half and maybe think about catching the ball before doing anything else.' 
Tahu and his team-mates saw precious little of the ball in the second half as the Roosters ran in four tries in eight minutes from the 59th minute. `I had a lot of pressure on me this year with Origin and making the Australian team,' Tahu said. `People thought I couldn't handle the pressure, but I proved them wrong.'