Few people would have realised the new generation of Parramatta forwards was going to be led by someone who is seen by most as a quiet achiever who just goes about his work. What people didn't know was that Tim Mannah would soon become a house hold name for his toughness and uncompromising attitude in both attack and defence.
It was a blustery and cold night in New Zealand when the young prop forward made his debut at Mt Smart Stadium against the Warriors. The inaugural Parramatta Under 20's captain quickly established his leadership qualities in the NRL with his powerful runs. However, you have to go back further to discover that Tim's always been like this. It was a match when, in Under 15's, his junior team the Guildford Owls faced off against the high powered competition of Cabramatta. That Cabramatta team boasted future NRL players and teammates Jarryd Hayne, Kris Keating, Tony Williams as well as Trent Hodkinson. The Guildford team was annihilated by over 60 points. But, Jarryd Hayne revealed last year that there was one player who refused to concede defeat and would continually slam into them. It was Tim Mannah. The young prop continued to pound away even when his teammates had given up. His hard work was rewarded when he burst over for his side's only try of the match.
Mannah rode the wave in the remainder of 2009 and in his rookie season he was playing alongside club stalwarts Nathan Hindmarsh, Nathan Cayless and Luke Burt in a Grand Final. In the Preliminary Final, in front of 75,000 people he benefited from Hayne's freakish talents when he caught an offload and slid in under the posts for his first ever NRL try. His uncompromising attitude was rewarded when he was given the nod over the experienced Justin Poore in 2010 when Fuifui Moimoi was injured and he started his first NRL match.
But Mannah's story has always continued off the field. The softly spoken forward has a brother, Jon, who he has grown up with. The 2 faced off against each other in 2009 when Jon was playing for the Sharks and, as is customary Jon embarrassed Tim by giving him an old-fashioned wedgie during a tackle. It was Jon, however, who was second best off the field. In late 2009 the Mannah family was given the dreaded news that Jon had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It rocked Tim but his optimistic attitude and mental toughness meant in never showed on the field.
Tim came on in leaps and bounds in 2010. Under the experienced Nathan Cayless he grew as a forward and he learned how to lead a forward pack. Mannah's always been a bundle of energy on the field, always prepared to put his hand up for more work. This was recognised by then NSW coach Craig Bellamy and Mannah made his State of Origin debut in the third match of the 2010 series. In 2011 it came to fruition. The legendary Nathan Cayless retired and in his place, Tim Mannah became Parramatta's starting prop. At the age of 23 he was young in NRL terms but he clearly showed experience beyond his years. Mannah was one of Parramatta's best in the 2011 season. Regularly topping the metres gained and hitups made each week. New NSW coach Ricky Stuart, like Bellamy, recognised Mannah's ability and Mannah played all 3 of the State of Origin matches in 2011, starting 2 of them.
At the conclusion of the 2011 season Mannah was selected for the Prime Minister's XIII and played alongside fellow Eels Luke Burt and Nathan Hindmarsh. Brother Jon signed up with Parramatta and re-joined Tim. Unfortunately for Jon he relapsed early in 2012 and is still yet to play a match alongside his brother. Tim still remains positive and has never let it bother him on the field. In Round 2, with Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt out of the team, coach Stephen Kearney handed the captaincy to Tim Mannah. Mannah was one of the best in a beaten side and did the captaincy proud. He continues to perform to the best of his ability and has cemented his spot in the team. Nathan Cayless himself has said that Tim Mannah will make the captaincy proud if he is selected in 2012. He truly his a tireless player and a man with the heart of a champion.
Replies
Are you baiting me Snake, or are you legit?
To add to that super22, he has never done anything that puts him in the ''champion'' catergory, yes he is a good meter eater, but thats it imo, one dimensional game, that is going backwards..
Ive never heard him once, give an honest opinion about anything, he sits on the fence with a silly smile on his face, he lacks any real aggression, does not defend his fellow brother n team mate on the park, n has enough trouble with his own game let alone being the leader of men, and i wouldnt put any fence sitter or ass licker as a leader of men at all....
At best, tim is just a good meter eater n thats it......
Yes im waiting for all the Tim lovers to get upset, but i dont care, i would still think this if 99.99% of others had the oppersite opinion, there is a reason he was dropped out of origin, and the above reasons are why......
but it was a well written blog super so well done for that...
i am dead set serious with this one super, no mucking around, im no fan of Tim at all, apart from i do think he is a good meter eater, but thats it....
I'm glad someone else deleted your comment because I was about to do it myself. I'll accept constructive criticism of players but that was a personal attack on him and wasn't needed
lol, are you going to go back and delete the 5000 comments on sk or roberts or sandow or poore or willie tonga or esi tonga or morgan or burt, there was nothing wrong with what i said at all, fottball fans make those calls all the time..........
Nah don't have the time.
whats wrong with calling a player a fence sitter n an a** licker ??
It was the fact that it didn't contribute to discussion and was just aimed at flatly attacking Mannah. I'm trying to keep my blogs clean and just discussion.
''ass licker'' ''ass kisser'' is a very ingrained term in australian culture, it is hardly a personal attack to get to precious n upset over, i hear the term used all the time in everday life, i gave my reasons for refering to him in this way, i have refered to him this way 100 other times on this forum, i have heard of other players being refered to in this same way and even worse, get over it girls, move on.......
Each to their own I guess. Stuart apparently still rates him according to Cayless. I see him as someone who can lead the team and I guess that any man that Cayless says can lead the team deserves to.
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