Talau: Reds Will Need 110% From Everybody

July 1, 2009 by Paul Mc

Salford City Reds powerhouse centre Willie Talau may be nursing his third serious injury of the season, but he will be making every tackle in spirit at least on Friday night when his new team take on his former employers as the Reds’ entertain top-of-the-table St Helens at The Willows (8pm).

Talau spent five hugely successful years with the Saints before leaving to join Salford as a big close-season capture. Since then a fractured eyesocket, a tricep torn from the bone and now a serious scaphoid injury have made his first season in the scarlet a miserable one at best.

I’ve only had six operations in my career and three of the them have been since March this year

“I knew the scaphoid injury was a bad one when it went against Wigan, but adrenaline and the intensity of the battle means you get through it for a while without ever focusing on how serious it could be. I soon realised something was wrong though when I grabbed out in a tackle and it felt as though my hand was going to pop off the end of my arm,” he explained.

“I’ve had the major part of the surgery now but my wrist still has the screws sticking out of the skin which will need to be removed at some point. The cast is off but I’m going to be in a splint for the foreseeable future. I don’t really know at this stage when I can expect to be back in full training. I’m going light stuff, some weights and so on but even running is difficult. You wouldn’t think you need your arm to run but you do, and the splint is really restrictive too and I’m also right handed so simple things like holding a pen or mug are tough” he added.

Even though he’s currently sidelined his insight into the Saints camp has been invaluable to his team-mates in the build up to Friday’s huge clash.

“St Helens have a really good core of senior players,” he explained, “It’s a rugby-mad town and the team don’t just expect to win in an arrogant way, they understand the processes of winning. They know what they have to do before they can even consider a game won.”

“To beat them on Friday everybody is going to have to play to the best of their capabilities and then add10% to that.”

Despite his horrendous few months on the medics table, Willie remains philosophical: “It’s been one of those seasons. I have played many of my 13 years without any injuries at all. I’ve only had six operations in my career and three of the them have been since March this year, but I have to just look forward to getting back into things. I’ll be coming into fitness in the close season and I always train to be ready. I like to be at least a week ahead of where I should be in my off-season preparation. I don’t like leaving anything to chance so I’ll be chomping at the bit to get back next season,” he concluded.