The Badger
Juniors
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There’s grounds for optimism regarding Sims in 2021. Tyson Frizzle was injured most of 2019 but came back to play all 20 games plus 3 origins in 2020. We really need Sims to return to Origin form & I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt'I was petrified of Hook': How midnight feasts proved making of Sims
Christian Nicolussi
December 21, 2020 — 12.01am
Tariq Sims remembers Anthony Griffin as the coach who shifted him from the wing to the middle of the field.
The bloke who forced him to eat sandwiches in the middle of the night and pile on a staggering 25kg. The man who inspired him to become the under-20s player of the year.
Thirteen years after first crossing paths at the Brisbane Broncos, Sims and Griffin have been re-united at St George Illawarra.
And Sims will not hear a bad word about the Dragons' new coach, who encouraged him chase his league dream rather than ''go back to Gerringong and work and surf with my mates the rest of my life''.
"I moved up to Brisbane for the under-20s at the end of 2007, and 'Hook' was my twenties coach,'' Sims tells the Herald. "I did the pre-season on the wing and I was about 85kg holding two wet shoes and a bucket.
"On my birthday in February I got a fine for driving in a T2 lane. I'd just come from Gerringong where there are no T2 lanes. I was making $315 a week working and I was fined $300.
Family connection: Tariq Sims with brother Korbin, then playing for the Broncos, in 2017.Credit:NRL Photos
"Then I pulled into training and Hook says, 'I need to talk to you', so he called me into his office and then politely told me how I'm not a winger and how I should move into the middle.
"He dropped me back to Norths Devils and said I couldn't come back until I was 100kg. They were getting me to wake up in the middle of the night and eat sandwiches. I was bloody petrified of Hook, but at the same time I was determined to prove the prick wrong.
"Halfway through that year I got to 100kg, it was for one game against St George down at WIN Stadium. In 2009, I was started every game off the bench, then in 2010 he turned me into the player of the year.''
Sims felt like a ''charity case'' when he first moved to the Broncos given his brothers Ashton and Korbin were already at Red Hill.
Griffin's directness and honesty gave Tariq the belief in himself. Once he had reached 100kg, Griffin asked him to pile on another 10kg. Griffin's half-time sprays, normally directed at him, made sure Sims kept pushing himself.
"What Hook did was force me to become a better person and player and accountable for my actions,'' Sims said. "I was able to pick up the twenties player of the year, and that was because of the fear I had of his half-time sprays and the desire to play in the famous Broncos jersey.''
"What you see is what you get with Hook. He won't lie to you and will tell you how it is. He expects that in return. The only thing that has changed is he's picked up a few extra jokes. They're terrible, but they're dad jokes so I find them quite hilarious.''
Sims was limited to just nine games last season because of injury. Without James Graham and Tyson Frizell, plus the uncertainty surrounding Jack De Belin, the Dragons will need Sims, who turns 31 early next year and will reach 200 games without injury, to lift again.
This is the first off-season Sims has not required surgery. It is a refreshing change, he says, being able to train the first month rather than being a recovering spectator.
The Dragons missed out on tough Tiger Zane Musgrove and young Panther Spencer Leniu, but have added Jack Bird, who will start life back at the Dragons in the forwards.
Sims said as much as he loved former coach Paul McGregor, 'If there was going to be someone to come in, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else other than Hook''.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/i-...ts-proved-making-of-sims-20201219-p56oxw.html
I am very confident that Griffin and his coaching staff will have Sims firing on all 8 cylinders in 2021. Our problem will be with Frizell's replacement. Can Ford step up 3 rungs of the edge forward ladder to fill the void?
Injury management & rehab was another area we weren’t great at either. Nathan Pickworth & team are gone the only guy kept is the physio.
Apologies Nathan Pickworth
Who is now at the Gummies.
I take some satisfaction that they cheated the cap to finally win. NRL should have taken it off them!Who is now at the Gummies.
Although I had the same smile when they signed Price as waterboy assistant.
Then he won a comp with them.
I feel they should have used the word “moist” instead of “damp”..
Indeed TS is going very well and I am very pleased for you as I know you have always had belief.
He is going very well as I knew he would once he strung some games together. We are going to need him at his absolute best to give young Sam Walker a proper introduction to the NRL in the CS game.
