Tui Lolohea | Player Perspective

Huddersfield Giants head coach Ian Watson heaped praise on off-season signing Tui Lolohea after his Man of the Match display against Salford last weekend.

It comes after an emphatic start to the new campaign for Lolohea – he has 10 try contributions from the first four rounds and is performing at a consistently high level.

New arrivals can occasionally take time to settle in at a new club, but not Lolohea. He’s hit the ground running and made his presence immediately known at the John Smith’s Stadium.

His move across the Pennines from Salford to Huddersfield was inevitably made easier thanks to his relationship with his former coach Watson. Lolohea has linked back up with the Giants head coach - as well as Head Conditioner Greg Brown – signalling a reunion with the coaching staff that were partly responsible for a resurgence in Lolohea’s career after a turbulent start to life in Betfred Super League.

???🗣 "I think he's got the balance just right at the minute, Watto."@kevjonbrown is impressed by @Giantsrl so far and believes Tui Lolohea is the best player in the competition.

📺 Don't miss The Last Tackle tonight at 6pm.@TheRFL | @SuperLeague
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) March 9, 2022

 And thankfully for Lolohea and the rest of the Giants squad, that familiarity has ensured a smooth transition into the club and onto the field as well. The 27-year-old has had no trouble finding his feet at the Giants and is enjoying the new challenge under his old coach.  

“It’s been quite good and easy [to settle in] to be honest - the boys have made me feel welcome. I think having Watto [Ian Watson] and GB [Greg Brown] there has made the transition a bit smoother and easier. I’ve slotted straight in.

“I know the way that Watto plays and how he likes to do things. So, it’s just about buying in to what he thinks can work for us. He’s shown in the last few years that he’s been successful with the way he does things so it’s just whether we want to buy into it.??

The Giants have recruited smart and are a lot more balanced in 2022 – players have bought into Watson’s philosophy which has been crucial to their early season form – particularly in the case of Lolohea. A somewhat surprise change to the Giants spine has found Lolohea playing in the unfamiliar role of full back.

For the past three years, Lolohea has spent most of his time in the halves. A switch to full back in Round One wasn’t part of Watson’s initial plan for Lolohea, but the Tongan international rolled with the punches and is reaping the rewards.

More points for Lolohea 👊

The @StevePrescott1 #ManOfSteel points winners from @Giantsrl v Red Devils #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/NG9ZoMtmhX
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 9, 2022

“It was a bit of a shock,?? explained Lolohea.

“In preseason, I did the majority of it at halfback. I did train at full back here and there and I think I’m capable of playing in that position - I’ve expressed myself a little bit so far this season.

“I think I’m offering a bit attack wise – I’m offering things to the halves, helping out and popping up when I need to pop up. And that’s what I enjoy doing and I think that’s the way I do play so I’m enjoying my footy at the moment.

“I’m playing with a smile on my face every week, I feel like I’m contributing quite a bit to the team and not just attack wise - I think defensively as well. Watto’s big on defence so I try to put my body on the line and have saved a couple of tries here and there – that’s probably what I’m more impressed with. The attack stuff just happens – we’re athletes and footy players so that just happens.??

Lolohea and Huddersfield’s recent form culminated in what he described as one of the best 80-minute performances he’s been part of against Salford last week.

The game was extra special for Lolohea - up against the club that revived his career and opposite players that he still remains close to now.

“I was excited for the challenge. People can say it’s just another game but deep down you know it’s your old team and you want to perform the best you can. You want to every week, but obviously it’s a bit more special against your old team.

“I think the performance we did put in – we performed for the full 80 minutes. It’s probably the best 80 minutes that I’ve been a part of. From the beginning we did what we set out to do and then the points started happening. The result took care of itself. I feel like we put in effort and Salford were just gassed because they were defending so much.??

When Lolohea joined Salford midway through the 2019 season, it was a chance to reignite his career and regain his confidence. But his move to Huddersfield is different.

He joins the Giants as an established Super League player and an important asset in the Huddersfield spine. Expectations will inevitably be raised – first and foremost, by Lolohea. His move to the Giants brings an expectation from himself to cement his reputation and become one of the best players in the competition.

“I expect more from myself. I feel like I’m at that age at 27 where I need to make a mark. I’ve said it before that I’ve had a rollercoaster of a career and I feel like now I need to establish myself as a regular and experienced player in the team.

“That’s my goal for the season and I want to play consistent footy. Obviously with the World Cup at the end of this year I want to play some good footy going into that because it’s going to be another great stage to be a part of.

“I think if I can just focus on myself – not just at training but I think my life outside of footy as well. It helps me coming into training happier, enjoying my job. At the moment, I’m enjoying life, enjoying training, enjoying playing and so far, so good for us at Huddersfield.??