Luke looks forward to bright NRL future

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ajay78

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Hi everyone, I came across this post a few days ago.....seems to be a great talent. Hope we have locked him up from the roosters... Anyone within the organisation know a thing or 2?


LEAGUE - Luke looks forward to bright NRL future

22.12.2008
By Peter Thorley
Young Whangarei rugby league player Luke Tuimavave could become known as "Lucky Luke" after a dream season that has drawn interest from two Sydney NRL clubs.

He represented Northland with distinction at the under-15 national tournament in July and was chosen in the tournament squad as well as the best forward of the tournament. The 15-year-old prop's performance there wasn't missed by NRL scouts and he was offered a three-year contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

"Everything that's happened this year has been all I've ever really wanted, so at the moment I couldn't ask for more," he said.

Tuimavave has got all the right attributes to succeed in the game. He stands 195cm and weighs about 110kg, taller and heavier than his cousin, current New Zealand Warrior and Kiwi forward, Evarn Tuimavave.
Tuimavave and his parents hired Australian player-manager Steve Martin to conduct the negotiations on his behalf and the family hopes a Bulldogs deal will be signed early in the New Year.

"It's pretty much been the Bulldogs all the way for me but everyone thought going to the Roosters camp was a good idea too," he said.

A call from the Sydney Roosters player recruitment manager at the beginning of December invited Luke to attend the club's annual academy training camp in Australia.

The chance to train with rugby league greats like Brad Fittler and Matthew Johns was an experience Tuimavave will never forget.

The highlights of the trip for Luke was sitting next to Willie Mason at a dinner function and then running through the tunnel on to the playing ground at the Sydney Football Stadium for a training session with head coach Fittler.

It is something the young Hikurangi Stags player could get used to and he will hear in the next few weeks if the Roosters will also offer him a contract.

Meanwhile, he is poised to sign with the Bulldogs, and will attend another training camp in Sydney in January with the Canterbury club.

Next year looms as a big one for the young prop but whether he plays for the Bulldogs or another club doesn't really bother him - as long as he's playing.

"I'm keeping my options open. It's all new to me so I'm just enjoying having a tutu [nosy] around at the moment and hopefully we'll find out what's good and what's not," he said.

"I wouldn't mind playing for the Warriors but that's in the future ... right now I'm focusing on trying to crack in the Toyota Cup competition," he said.
 

buddman

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Sounds like a great prospect for the club.
 

CMP

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LOL at him going to the Roosters!

He is way to young for them!

If he was playing u15s this year. He is still 3 or 4 years at the very least away from 1st Grade. Roosters will chase him in about 6 or 7 years. They will save & put away the money that they would have had to spend on his development & then offer him heaps once he has made it!
 

ajay78

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Far out how can you be 15 and nearly 2meters at 110Kgs?... crazy... here's some more of what he did in a recent tournament.


Northland had another slow start against Taranaki and were behind 12-0 on before they settled to take the first half 22-12. They displayed dominant defence in the second half to run out winners 48-22. A huge feature of the game was a five-try haul by prop Luke Tuimavave and set up what was Northland's final, the following day.

Luke Tuimavave won best forward of the tournament and Northland captain Errol Lee was also named captain of the NZ 15s team and winner of the prestigious Stacey Jones Cup for outstanding playing of the tournament.

you can see his pic here.

http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/localsport/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3792893
 

richie

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at that size and age know wonder his running roit --- no1 could tackle him
lets hope he signs with us...
 

the_insider

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If I had a dollar for every polynesian prodigy I'd be a millionaire, ofcourse a guy that big will dominate 15 year olds but chances are he'll stop growing and everyone else will catch up or he'll keep growing and become too big to play rugby league...
 

The Dominator

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at that size and age know wonder his running roit --- no1 could tackle him
lets hope he signs with us...
From his picture, he doesn't look over-weight. He may be just one of those naturally huge mothers.
 

MILF

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lots of water to go under the bridge before he sees the big time.
 

ajay78

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still at that size he wouldnt need to grow any further...he'd probably be on par size wise with some of the biggest in the NRL. just needs a good head on his shoulders..
 

w00t

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If I had a dollar for every polynesian prodigy I'd be a millionaire, ofcourse a guy that big will dominate 15 year olds but chances are he'll stop growing and everyone else will catch up or he'll keep growing and become too big to play rugby league...
how on earth can you be "too big" for league? that just does not make sense at all..
 

the_insider

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how on earth can you be "too big" for league? that just does not make sense at all..
Thing is league is a sport where stoppages are minimal and fitness plays a big role. If he grows to say 200cm and say 125kg he would struggle to keep up with the pace of the NRL, logic says as a forward its very difficult to carry around so much weight (muscle or otherwise) for extended periods. Also with that size lateral movement and agility become an issue.
I'd say however he probably won't grow that much and will probably be about 198cm and 115kg, any bigger and he'll struggle
 

w00t

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Thing is league is a sport where stoppages are minimal and fitness plays a big role. If he grows to say 200cm and say 125kg he would struggle to keep up with the pace of the NRL, logic says as a forward its very difficult to carry around so much weight (muscle or otherwise) for extended periods. Also with that size lateral movement and agility become an issue.
I'd say however he probably won't grow that much and will probably be about 198cm and 115kg, any bigger and he'll struggle
not neccesarily, unless you're saying bball doesn't take much fitness to play.. Sure the field is a great deal smaller than a footy field and they have quarters rather than halves, but they hardly ever get a "rest" during game, it's pretty much non-stop movement. If height/weight was an issue Otherwise the NBA wouldn't have giants who are athletic who also pack a fair bit of muscle.

Besides if you look closely some of the fittest guys that run around in the NRL still go close to or exceed 100kg, ie Hodges, Inglis and until recently Gasnier, SBW. I don't see how he wouldn't make it unless his body/weight ratio was really f*cked up, if he is say 210cm and tipping the scales at 120kg with the majority of muscles he'd still stand a chance, having said that i doubt he'll get much bigger than he already is.
 

Alan79

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Being the size of a largish NRL prop would no doubt help him in an under 15's competition. The danger with guys like this is that they can come to rely on being much bigger than their opposition which makes the transition to the NRL harder for them when that advantage is removed. Hopefully we get his signature and manage to turn him into a wrecking ball though. It's up to him to do the work.
 

Özil

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If I had a dollar for every polynesian prodigy I'd be a millionaire, ofcourse a guy that big will dominate 15 year olds but chances are he'll stop growing and everyone else will catch up or he'll keep growing and become too big to play rugby league...
whats the height and weight restrictions for RL?
 

w00t

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He'll end up in Rugby if he ever gets to those dimensions lalalalalala
Well what im saying is they would still be effective in league, and placing restrictions on how big you can get for league seems rather weird to me
 
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