- League stars Tommy Talau and Jess Sergis are a fixture
- Their loyalty will be tested in Saturday night’s final clash.
Tommy Talau hopes at least one Sydney Roosters star will be happy to see Manly win their NRL semi-final.
This is not because a rival has jumped ship, but because Talau’s teammate Jess Sergis has promised she will be by his side at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Jillaroos Test centre Sergis is a star in his own right but is currently missing the Roosters’ run to the NRLW finals due to a serious knee injury.
But on Saturday night, Talau hopes she will cheer him up.
“I’d like to think she’s there supporting me,” Talau said.
‘Obviously she’s a bitch, but she says she supports me. I hope so.
“I’ll have to get him a Manly jersey and see if he wears it. I don’t know if the Roosters would be too happy with that.
‘Unfortunately there won’t be Manly colours, but she’ll be cheering me on.’
Roosters NRLW star Jess Sergis will have her loyalty tested when her boyfriend, Manly star Tommy Talau (pictured together), takes on her team in a sudden-death final on Saturday.
The couple’s romance became public in January of this year when Sergis shared a loving photo on social media.
Talau says his better half has promised to support him when he competes against his team.
The couple’s romance first came to light in January this year when Sergis shared a loving photo on social media.
Talau has made a habit of testing family loyalties in his first series finale.
Last week’s 24-22 win over Canterbury came against the club for which his father Willie played 101 games, including the 1998 grand final.
But at 24, Tommy is clearly forging his own path.
In his first season at Manly, Talau is clearly proving he is the most improved player in the NRL in 2024.
After years of injuries at Wests Tigers, the winger has emerged as one of Manly’s most reliable players in defence and a more than solid finisher with the ball in hand.
“It’s been pretty crazy,” Talau said.
‘I tried to work hard during pre-season to prepare for the first round and try to secure a spot. But unfortunately it didn’t happen.
“I was lucky enough to be able to do it at the beginning of the year and from then on everything has just been going well, which is really good.”
However, Talau is aware that there are things that need to be improved before Saturday.
The elimination final victory over Canterbury came despite the rare circumstance that both he and Manly teammate Lehi Hopoate failed to record the 100m dash.
The duo were part of a Manly back five that struggled for yards early in sets, while the Bulldogs pack made short work of Manly and dominated the game territorially.
Sergis (pictured running the ball against Wests last month) is currently out injured as the Roosters look set to challenge for the NRLW title.
The Sea Eagles have focused on getting more men in the forward line quicker, giving them more options early in sets.
“The Bulldogs, their line speed was great,” Talau said.
‘We just have to try to fill the field because we have threats all over the field.
‘If we have a good line and present a good attack, it will be difficult for the defense to limit and press our attack.
“Many teams, when they get tired and fatigued, just play one more time. We want to fill the field and maintain our style of football.”