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MEET the Sydney Roosters' teenage bulldozer.
He might only be 17, but schoolboy rugby league talent Tai Tuivasa packs a knockout punch.
The Mt Druitt product stands 190cm tall and hits the scales at 136kg.
Sydney Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan describes Tuivasa as a "raw talent".
"He is bit like Mark Tookey. They both wind-up and hit-up the ball at full speed," O'Sullivan said.
"I've been watching his age group for some time now and he scores an inordinate amount of tries in junior league.
"He's got terrific leg speed and great footy awareness. If he trims down the kilos and keeps up the hard work I have no doubt that he will play first grade. He will play under-20s next year if he keeps up the form."
When The Daily Telegraph caught-up with Tuivasa at the Redfern PCYC gym, he dwarfed the heavy bags and the doorway.
Fighting and footy is all he has known growing up as a young kid in western Sydney.
The former St Dominic's student made his fight debut with a stunning 22-second knock-out against Daniel Fawkes at Penrith RSL.
Tuivasa has spent the past 18-months training at the Elite Fight Gym, sparring with cult figure cage fighter Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne.
Five experienced MMA fighters didn't want to fight him because of his size.
"Half of the people in the crowd that night were my family," Tuivasa said.
"I remember feeling pretty calm before and during the fight. I kneed him a couple of times, he got up and came at me and I knocked him out."
Tuivasa, who has a Samoan father and Aboriginal mother, was poached by the Sydney Roosters from Penrith Panthers last year.
He has dropped 9kg since joining the club, which put him on a strict new diet and training regime.
While Tuivasa's second MMA fight hasn't been scheduled, the giant lad said he was keen to step back in the ring next year.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ager-tai-tuivasa/story-e6frexnr-1225964160847
Sisa Waqa (Inlis-Folau-SBW), JP Du Plessis (Teenage Superstar), Sa (The Next SBW), JWH (Next SBW), Tai Tuivasa (The next Mark Tookey)...
He might only be 17, but schoolboy rugby league talent Tai Tuivasa packs a knockout punch.
The Mt Druitt product stands 190cm tall and hits the scales at 136kg.
Sydney Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan describes Tuivasa as a "raw talent".
"He is bit like Mark Tookey. They both wind-up and hit-up the ball at full speed," O'Sullivan said.
"I've been watching his age group for some time now and he scores an inordinate amount of tries in junior league.
"He's got terrific leg speed and great footy awareness. If he trims down the kilos and keeps up the hard work I have no doubt that he will play first grade. He will play under-20s next year if he keeps up the form."
When The Daily Telegraph caught-up with Tuivasa at the Redfern PCYC gym, he dwarfed the heavy bags and the doorway.
Fighting and footy is all he has known growing up as a young kid in western Sydney.
The former St Dominic's student made his fight debut with a stunning 22-second knock-out against Daniel Fawkes at Penrith RSL.
Tuivasa has spent the past 18-months training at the Elite Fight Gym, sparring with cult figure cage fighter Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne.
Five experienced MMA fighters didn't want to fight him because of his size.
"Half of the people in the crowd that night were my family," Tuivasa said.
"I remember feeling pretty calm before and during the fight. I kneed him a couple of times, he got up and came at me and I knocked him out."
Tuivasa, who has a Samoan father and Aboriginal mother, was poached by the Sydney Roosters from Penrith Panthers last year.
He has dropped 9kg since joining the club, which put him on a strict new diet and training regime.
While Tuivasa's second MMA fight hasn't been scheduled, the giant lad said he was keen to step back in the ring next year.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ager-tai-tuivasa/story-e6frexnr-1225964160847
Sisa Waqa (Inlis-Folau-SBW), JP Du Plessis (Teenage Superstar), Sa (The Next SBW), JWH (Next SBW), Tai Tuivasa (The next Mark Tookey)...
