Lote Tuqiri has worn a lot of colours in his career as a dual international, but Maroon is still the one closest to his heart.
HE has worn Wallaby gold, the black and white of his homeland Fiji and the sky blue of the NSW Waratahs. But when Lote Tuqiri allows himself a moment to dream, he still yearns for a Queensland Origin jumper.
It has been eight long years since Tuqiri last wore Maroon. And for all his litany of achievements and the remarkable travails that have underpinned his NRL and rugby careers, it remains somewhat of a sore point that Tuqiri has played just six Origin matches for Queensland.
The salt to the wound? The fact he has missed a possible 21 games in the Maroons jumper.
But at the age of 31, and having recently reclaimed his Kangaroos jumper during the Four Nations tournament, the Wests Tigers flyer is refusing to give up on the Origin dream.
“You know, I’d bleed for that Queensland jersey,” said Tuqiri, who made his Queensland debut in 2001 in the last game at the old Suncorp Stadium before a multi-million facelift transformed it into the modern-day Cauldron.
“For me, Origin is the ultimate arena and it was the one thing I really missed when I was playing rugby. There were times I’d be at home watching it on TV and thinking, ‘What I’d give to be out there with the boys in that Maroon jumper’.
“It means a lot to be part of the FOGS. They are a great organisation doing a lot of great things for people in the community, but personally I don’t want it to be all over with the Maroons.
“I’d love to play again. I’m not going to say I don’t want to be there, that I’m not up to it so I’m going to put my hand up.
“It’s one of the better times I’ve had in a representative jersey. You just give everything for that jumper … and you know the bloke beside you is doing the same thing.”
Tuqiri accepts the road back to Maroon is littered with hurdles. For a start, there is the fact the Maroons have won a record five consecutive series.
Famed for their loyalty, Queensland selectors don’t change winning teams, especially when the likes of Darius Boyd, Greg Inglis, Brent Tate and Willie Tonga stand ahead of Tuqiri in the three-quarter pecking order.
The Fijian-born speedster was desperately hoping to be picked in 2010, but has been around long enough to appreciate the Queensland ethos.
“Queensland have won the last five series and I was fine with not being selected. It’s just good to see Queensland rugby league is strong and they do have a lot of blokes to pick from,” said Tuqiri, who was part of the new breed of Maroons ushered into Origin after the disastrous 3-0 series loss to the Blues in 2000.
“Back in the day they probably struggled for depth, but now there’s a lot of blokes vying for positions and that’s what the selectors want.”
Maroons selector Gene Miles, however, has a message for Tuqiri – don’t give up in 2011.
“Lote is a great story for rugby league with the way he has returned and made an immediate impact on the game,” he said.
“He is definitely in the Origin mix for us, and personally I would like to see him achieve it because he is such a great guy.
“I can tell you, he went within a whisker of making the Origin team this year.
“In fact, he was so close, we almost called him in to camp to act as the 18th man.
“But in the end, we decided there wasn’t really a lot of benefit in that, seeing as he had been there and done the Origin experience before.
“It was better for us to bring in a younger guy who could start learning what Origin is all about. It is about the only time a wealth of Origin experience has counted against a player, I suppose.
“But there didn’t seem much point, because everyone knows that Lote would be able to slip straight back into the Queensland team, no questions asked.”
The selection of Tuqiri in the recent Four Nations saw him become the first player to play for the Kangaroos, the Wallabies in rugby, and return to represent the Kangaroos.
“It has been an unbelievable ride this season. It all started with me scoring a try on my first touch for the Wests Tigers,” he laughs.
“When (Wests Tigers CEO) Stephen Humphreys came over to Leicester in January to finalise the deal, I never imagined I would be in this position now.
“The last nine months have been incredible.
“Playing rep footy was always in my mind and it has come to fruition this time.
“I would have loved to have played Origin this year but it was not to be.
“Still, at least I have a goal for next year.”
LOTE TUQIRI
FOG No: 116
Position: Wing
Clubs: Brisbane, Wests Tigers
Queensland: 6 origin matches
Tests: Australia: 9 Tests. Fiji: 3 Tests
Rugby Union: Leicester (16 games), NSW Waratahs (76 games), Australia (67 Tests)
Picture: News Limited
