He’s already one of the hottest forwards in the NRL, but Canberra prop Joe Tapine will be looking to step things up again this weekend.
The 28-year-old star will have an even bigger job in the absence of front-row buddy Josh Papalii to Origin duty, particularly against a Sydney forward pack that brings the heat.
But if there is another level for Tapine to find, it might have to be something truly special given he produced a whopping 234m running and some 108m post-contact, both season-high marks, in last weekend’s loss to Parrmatta.
He’s the number two-ranked forward for total run metres at 1792m behind Parramatta’s Isaiah Papali’i (1860m), and second among all players for post-contact metres at 799m, trailing only Brisbane star Payne Haas (826m).
“I was happy with it, but when you lose, not as happy,” Tapine told reporters about his huge weekend knock.
“I’m just trying to keep consistent, I feel like all my performances this year have been better and I’m playing some good footy.
“I’ll have to just be a bit more of a voice on the field (without Josh Papali’i) as well as lead a bit more, especially with (debutant) Trey (Mooney) coming in, just help them find that groove with the game.
“I try and lead with actions but over the last couple of years, I’ve found my voice as well.”
Consistency is certainly one term for Tapine’s campaign, given he’s averaging a career-high 149m running and has only come in at less than 116m once, despite some up-and-down Canberra form in their 5-7 season.
He’s also building his reserves as the season progresses, playing 53 minutes a game in the last eight matches after being down at 44 minutes through the first month.
That could really help the Raiders, with the side noticeably lacking punch when both Tapine and Papali’i are on the pine.
“It’s depending on the flow of the game – middle is a tough, tough gig,” he said.
“If you’re getting rolled the whole game, you can’t really play long minutes, but when you have the ball and you’re going good, you can play longer.
“That’s what the coaches do, when they see we’re a bit behind in the game, they’ll inject some fresh legs.”
