Willie Tonga signs with Pirtek Parramatta Eels

[Joshuatheeel]

The difference with Sandow is that he's been playing for LOL@50ouff$ therefore they were desperate and blooded him a lot earlier, and probably before he was ready. Any other club would have waited a couple of years but that's how dumb Souths are. We'll get the benefit from it now.

exactly what I was trying to say, he has done well for his age as a half but as you said was blooded to early. And he will only get better, everyone expects him to be a superstar top the of the range half at 22 but it takes time as is shown at what other quality halves at 22 were doing.

 

[parra pete]

Actually Inglis has never won a premiership. It's easy to look as good as he did with an illegal side around you. Does his CC medal count either? I can't recall.

Anyway, as I said, Inglis is a freak but his attitude sucks. Give me a 100% performer like Tonga any day of the week. I think Inglis will fade out at Souths in all honesty, he hates hard work

And settle down, you're always such a cranky f**k...

What's that Mr Pot???? :lol:

 

[El Eels]

Any other club would have waited a couple of years but that's how dumb Souths are. We'll get the benefit from it now.

http://static.themetapicture.com/media/funny-laughing-hard-geniused-seal.jpg

 

[El Eels]

Lol @ $ouff $adney

 

[Bazal]

Aww I ain't cranky pete. I just think you're a merkin!

 

[Suitman]

Aww I ain't cranky pete. I just think you're a merkin!

No one has to be cranky to think that.

Suity

 

[parra pete]

No one has to be cranky to think that.

Suity

Well it must be true if you think that Suity...

 

[koal4e]

He may not give a shit, but he's a better player than Tonga. To each there own tho

Id rather have Tonga giving 100% than Inglis on the pitch but not putting his heart into it.

 

[eels81236]

Id rather have Tonga giving 100% than Inglis on the pitch but not putting his heart into it.

Shouldn't be running on the pitch anyway. I hate bowlers.

 

[Gronk]

DEPARTING North Queensland Cowboys centre Willie Tonga struck a heartfelt note with the crowd at the club's presentation ball on the weekend.
The 28-year-old Queensland and Australian representative told the throng of players and guests that Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen were the reasons he moved to the Cowboys from the Bulldogs.
Tonga will soon move to Parramatta after signing for two seasons, joining younger brother Esi. Tonga told Cowboys management earlier this year that he was no longer happy with his lifestyle in Townsville.
But he didn't dwell on the reasons for his impending move, only those for his arrival in the North in 2008.
"At the time I was sort of at the crossroads with injuries and stuff like that, and there was no better place to come to than play alongside the world's best halfback," Tonga said.
"I thought, 'Matty Bowen, Johnathan Thurston, you can't beat that'."
Tonga played 61 first-grade games for the Cowboys and scored 31 tries, and last year regained his Australian jumper after five years. He has been chosen for the coming Four Nations tournament in England, receiving a late call-up to replace the injured Greg Inglis.
Tonga will go down in State of Origin folklore for playing game one of this year's series with a dislocated shoulder.
"I had some goals there (at the Cowboys) I wanted to achieve personally and that was to play representative football for my state and my country again, and I managed to do that," Tonga said.
"To be honest I don't think I could have done that if I went to any other club."
Tonga, a man of reserved and humble nature, thanked club staff for signing him despite his reputation.
"They pushed hard for me to come up here. I knew they were taking a little bit of a gamble," he said.
"With the reputation that I had off the field at the time I was at the Bulldogs, it was probably fair to say I was a little bit of a loose cannon back then. I think I definitely changed as a person because of the club and because of the people that are here."
Tonga admits his time in North Queensland featured plenty of ups and downs but bids the Cowboys farewell with no regrets.
"I apologise if I didn't reach anyone's expectations but I tried my best every week," he said. "It was such an honour and privilege to put that Cowboys jersey on.
"It's been an awesome three years. I've enjoyed every moment.

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/10/10/273531_sport.html

 

[Gronk]

NEW Parramatta recruit Willie Tonga has revealed that the reason he walked away from the final year of his contract with the North Queensland Cowboys was to play alongside his younger brother Esi in the Eels backline. In July this year, Willie Tonga was granted a release to return to Parramatta, the club which initially brought him to Sydney as a 17-year-old talent from the Aboriginal mission town of Cherbourg in Queensland.
"The big thing for me is to play alongside Esi," Tonga said. "I've spoken to Steve Kearney a little bit about it and I think that's his plan at this stage. As long as I get to play alongside him, wherever it be, that's something I'm looking forward to.

"When the opportunity came up for us to be in the same team, I couldn't pass that up. I'm nearing the end of my career and to play alongside my brother would tick all the boxes for me."

Called into the Kangaroos' 24-man Four Nations squad when Brett Stewart was ruled out last Friday, Tonga will start at right centre in Sunday's Test against the Kiwis in Newcastle.

Earning an 11th-hour call-up via a late selection-room phone call is nothing new for Tonga, who normally has Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges in front of him when it comes to representing Australia and Queensland.

Despite his last tour of the UK in 2004 after winning a title with the Bulldogs, Tonga has still compiled an outstanding representative resume which includes 10 Tests for Australia and seven Origin games for Queensland.

"After they named the side initially I was in holiday mode," Tonga said.

"I was planning on going to Bali with my younger brother but obviously that's all on hold now.

"I thought that Hodgo was going to be fit and GI was on target, so I didn't give myself much of a chance.

"But in the last three years I've been the one that's been called up for either Hodgo or Greggy in those situations, so I've been pretty lucky."

A left centre with North Queensland for the past three seasons, Tonga will revert to Australia's right edge against the Kiwis, where he has won the opportunity to play outside Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer in his final Test on home soil.

The Australian right edge will be Sam Thaiday-Lockyer-Tonga and Test rookie Akuila Uate, who will make his debut in front of a parochial Novocastrian home crowd.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...amatta-eels-move/story-e6frfgbo-1226164262882

 

[jono]

Just CANNOT wait until this bloke comes back to us.
Jeez he tore Lewis Brown a new one today!

 

[Parra Pride]

Just CANNOT wait until this bloke comes back to us.
Jeez he tore Lewis Brown a new one today!

Brown is not much of a centre though, but I also cannot wait to see him in the blue and gold

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Brown is not much of a centre though

You reckon?

With him, Vatuvei, Johnson and Mateo defending on the Warriors' left edge, it's no wonder Manly ran everything down that side in the grand final.

To be honest, I'm a bit concerned that Kearney picked him at centre for this game. They really must have had nobody else.

 

[Eels Dude]

You reckon?

With him, Vatuvei, Johnson and Mateo defending on the Warriors' left edge, it's no wonder Manly ran everything down that side in the grand final.

To be honest, I'm a bit concerned that Kearney picked him at centre for this game. They really must have had nobody else.

He should have played Mannering there. He's had enough experience at centre to do the job and the Kiwi's have plenty more depth in the forwards.

 

[Suitman]

He should have played Mannering there. He's had enough experience at centre to do the job and the Kiwi's have plenty more depth in the forwards.

Maybe the Kiwis should have selected you as coach instead of Kearney.

Suity

 

[natheel]

Brown has done a good job at centre as a replacement for ropati this year though. Played well against Melbourne.

He's a solid player but is more suited to backrow

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He should have played Mannering there. He's had enough experience at centre to do the job and the Kiwi's have plenty more depth in the forwards.

I thought Mannering would have been a better option too but he really is an excellent edge forward. He would have been wasted out wide.

 

[Bazal]

Should have just switched the two in attack. Defend Mannering in the centres and have him attack on the edge...Brown (and Beale for that matter) was really found out in defence

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He's a solid player but is more suited to backrow

I think he's a good attacking centre but he's nearly as bad as Justin Horo in defence.

As you say, better suited to the back-row but even then his defence lets him down.