Tohu Harris

Tohu Harris
Personal information
Born (1992-01-07) 7 January 1992
Hastings, New Zealand
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 112 kg (17 st 9 lb)
Playing information
Position Second-row, Lock, Centre, Five-eighth
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2013– Melbourne Storm 103 15 6 0 72
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2013–16 New Zealand 14 2 0 0 8
As of 17 April 2016
Source: [1]

Tohu Harris (born 7 January 1992) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League. A New Zealand national representative, he primarily plays at second-row and lock, but can also fill in at centre and five-eighth.

Background

Born in Hastings, New Zealand, Harris is of Māori descent. Harris played his junior football for the Tamatea rugby union club and attended Hastings Boys' High School before being signed by the Melbourne Storm. In 2007, Harris played for the New Zealand U15's team. Harris played for the Storm's NYC team from 2010 to 2012, scoring 25 tries in 49 games.[2]

Playing career

2013

Harris played at second-row and scored a try in the Melbourne Storm's 2013 World Club Challenge 18-14 win over the Leeds Rhinos.[3] In Round 1 of the 2013 NRL season, Harris made his NRL debut for the Storm against the St. George Illawarra Dragons at second-row in the 30-10 win at AAMI Park.[4] Harris was called up to the New Zealand Kiwis squad as 18th man for the 2013 Anzac Test, replacing Jeremy Smith. Harris was promoted to the playing squad on the day of the test match when captain Simon Mannering was ruled out with a calf injury and made his debut for New Zealand on the 19 April 2013 in the Kiwis 32-12 loss against Australia.[5] In Round 13 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Harris scored his first NRL career try in the Storms 38-6 win at AAMI Park.[6] Harris finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 25 matches and scoring 2 tries for the Melbourne Storm in the 2013 NRL season. On 9 October 2013, Harris was dropped from the New Zealand side for the 2013 World Cup, which had been announced a day earlier. The decision was made following the controversial change of mind of Sonny Bill Williams, who had previously ruled himself out of the competition, to join the squad.[7] Harris turned down a position to tour with the squad and play in a pre-tournament match against the Cook Islands in order to have minor surgery and rest before the 2014 NRL pre-season began.[8][9] Harris also refused to respond to Williams after the latter tried to reach out to him after the much publicized U-turn.[10]

2014

In February 2014, Harris was included in the Storms inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad.[11] In Round 4 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, after Cameron Smith suffered a back spasm in the warm up, Harris was appointed the goal kicker; Harris kicked 2 goals in the Storms 40-12 loss at NIB Stadium in Perth.[12] Harris was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis squad for the 2014 Anzac Test against Australia at SFS. Harris was selected to play off the interchange bench but was shifted to start at five-eighth over debutant Isaac John, Harris scored a try in the Kiwis 30-18 loss.[13] On 7 May 2014, Harris re-signed with the Storm on a 3-year contract keeping him with the club till the end of the 2017 season.[14] Harris finished the 2014 NRL season with him playing in all of the Storms 25 matches and kicking 2 goals. On 23 September 2014, Harris was selected in the New Zealand Kiwis 2014 Four Nations train-on squad.[15] Harris was then selected in the final 24 man squad.[16][17]

2015

On 3 May, Harris played for New Zealand against Australia in the 2015 Anzac Test, playing at second-row in the Kiwis' 26-12 win at Suncorp Stadium.[18] In July 2015, the Storm played the first ever NRL game at McLean Park in Napier, New Zealand, playing against the St George Illawarra Dragons. Harris designed the team's jersey for the occasion.[19] The Storm won the match 22-4.[20] Harris finished off the 2015 season having played in all of the Storms' 26 matches, scoring 5 tries and kicking 3 goals.[21] On 8 October, he was selected in the 23-man New Zealand squad to tour England.[22] He played in all 3 matches against England in the Kiwis' 2-1 Baskerville Shield series loss. He scored 1 try, in the first test, in the Kiwis' 26-12 loss at KC Stadium.[23]

2016

On 1 February, Harris was named in the Storm's 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad.[24] On 6 May, he played for New Zealand against Australia in the 2016 Anzac Test, playing at centre, after originally being named at five-eighth.[25]

Personal life

Harris married his wife Natalie in January 2014.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Tohu Harris - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  2. ↑ "Grandstand Forums". rleague.com. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  3. ↑ "Storm Ready for More Success After Beating Leeds Rhinos in World Cup Challenge". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  4. ↑ "Storm Beat Illawarra to Strat Premiership Defence". The Australian. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  5. ↑ Phil Mitchell. "Live: Australia v New Zealand". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  6. ↑ Shane Brady (2013-06-09). "Live: Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  7. ↑ "NZRL defends SBW decision". New Zealand Herald. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "New Zealand axes Tohu Harris to pick Sonny Bill Williams for World Cup". The Australian. 9 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Sonny Bill Williams eclipses Tohu Harris's rugby league World Cup dream". The Australian. 9 October 2013.
  10. ↑ FOX SPORTS
  11. ↑ "Squads For Auckland Nines". Rugby League Week. 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  12. ↑ "Craig Bellamy Slams his Melbourne Storm Team After Thrashing by Canterbury Bulldogs". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  13. ↑ Chris Barclay (2014-05-04). "Kiwis' Tohu Harris takes new role in his stride". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  14. ↑ "Storm to Lose a Gun Backrower After Re-Signing a New Zealand Star, Tohu Harris". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  15. ↑ "NZ Kiwi Four Nations train-on squad announcement". League Unlimited. 2014-09-23. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  16. ↑ "Four rookies in Kiwis Four Nations squad". NRL.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  17. ↑ "New Zealand name Four Nations squad | NRL". Zero Tackle. 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  18. ↑ "New Zealand Kiwis claim third straight win over Australian Kangaroos for first time since 1953". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  19. ↑ "Kiwis forward Tohu Harris designs Melbourne Storm jersey for Napier match". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  20. ↑ "Storm v Dragons: Five key points". NRL.com. 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  21. ↑ "Custom Match List". Rugby League Project. 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  22. ↑ "Kiwis name squad for England tour". NRL.com. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  23. ↑ Fletcher, Paul (2015-11-01). "International Series 2015: England 26-12 New Zealand - BBC Sport". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  24. ↑ "Storm name youthful Nines squad". NRL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  25. ↑ "UPDATED: Representative Round team lists". NRL.com. 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  26. ↑ "The Retention of Tohu Harris Represents the Generational Shift at the Melbourne Storm". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
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