EELS MEDIA RELEASE: Tahu Confirms Return to the Eels

Dual international Timana Tahu has confirmed he will return to the Pirtek Parramatta Eels next season after today signing with the Club he left to join Rugby Union at the end of 2007. The three year deal will begin in 2010 and marks his return to the Club he last represented in 2007. Prior to switching to Rugby Union, where he spent two seasons with the NSW Waratahs and Australian Wallabies, Tahu played 159 NRL games with the Eels and Newcastle. During that time the NSW Origin and Australian Kangaroos representative crossed for 102 First Grade tries. “For the last two years watching Rugby League meant watching Parramatta,” Tahu said. “I stayed close to a lot of the boys here during my time in Union and I'd text or call them from time to time, so coming back just made sense to me and my family. “Knowing so many people here, including having a friend in Paul Osborne as CEO, it wasn’t like I was coming to a new Club at all, so there was no reason for me to look anywhere else really. “Now I'm just looking forward to playing in the NRL again and in particularly in front of an Eels home crowd.” Osborne said signing Tahu was a key priority for him on joining the Club. “Timana expressed a deep desire to return to the NRL and there’s a sense that he’s got some unfinished business here at the Eels,” Pirtek Parramatta Eels Chief Executive Paul Osborne said. “Twice in three seasons he came within one game of a Grand Final berth and I know he’s been keeping close tabs on some of the changes that have gone on since he left. “He also still lives locally and he still feels a close affinity with the players here, so when we heard he was considering a return I made sure it would be at Parramatta.” Tahu has played four Rugby Union Tests for Australia after making his debut against the New Zealand All Blacks during last season’s Tri-Nations tournament. He also went on the Wallabies Spring Tour to Hong Kong & Europe, starting against Italy. He has also played 20 Super 14 games for the Waratahs, including all 13 of their matches in 2009. He was recently named in the Wallabies Tri-Nations squad for 2009. Prior to switching to Rugby, Tahu was a standout over eight seasons for the Eels and Knights. He made his First Grade debut for Newcastle against South Sydney in round 12 of the 1999 NRL season, and was a member of their 2001 Grand Final winning team against the Eels. By the time he left the Hunter in late 2004 was the Knights top try scorer with 82. He scored twenty more tries for the Eels during a three year, 46 game stint between 2005 & 2007. TIMANA TAHU Date of Birth: 16/10/1980 Place: Melbourne, Victoria Position: Centre Height: 185cm Weight: 98kg Rep Honours: Australian Kangaroos, NSW State of Origin, Australian Wallabies, NSW Waratahs Previous Clubs: Newcastle Knights (1999-2004); Parramatta Eels (2005-07); NSW Waratahs (2008-09) First Grade Debut: Newcastle v South Sydney, 1999 (R12) Club Debut: v Wests Tigers, 2005 (R1)

"I think BA probably had the team running ragged prior to the game in 32deg heat which sapped up all their energy .
Just like he did 5/6yrs ago at Brookvale when manly killed us vecause Des had his team cooling off in the sheds prior to the game and…"

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EELS MEDIA RELEASE: Tahu Confirms Return to the Eels

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