Tigers Recruit's 'Starstruck' Encounter with Benji: Unique Traits Compared to Cleary

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Wests Tigers signing Sunia Turuva has opened up on being starstruck meeting Benji Marshall, the difference between him and Ivan Cleary and his new role turning around the wooden spooners.

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Turuva or ‘Tito’ as he is known revealed Marshall was one of his favourite players growing up and admitted he doesn’t remember a whole lot from their first meeting, given how in awe he was of the champion playmaker.

“I was telling my dad this story, that when I first met Benji in talks, he was talking to me, I wasn’t even listening, I was just starstruck,” Turuva said.

“He was talking to me, so my manager’s like, bro are you all right? And he was like, wow, I was just lost, I couldn’t believe it.

“And then he was just talking to me, like, brah, you don’t have to treat me like that. I’m one of the boys. So that was pretty cool to hear from him. It was pretty cool to see.”

Now deep in his first pre-season with the Tigers, Turuva is much more comfortable with Marshall and listening to the messages that are coming across from his coach.

“Now I’m used to it, I see him every day now,” Turuva said.

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Tigers recruit Sunia Turuva was starstruck by Benji Marshall.Source: News Corp Australia

“But that first day when I first met him, I was just like, brah, this guy did the flick pass in the GF.

“That’s what I was picturing as he was talking. Everything he was saying was just going in one ear, out the other.

“But it is just pretty cool to be coached by someone like Benji.”

Having been coached by veteran Cleary, who has 451 games of experience and four titles from six grand finals, Turuva now finds himself being coached by another former player in just his second year as an NRL head coach.

However, Turuva believes there is not too many differences between Cleary and Marshall, except for one.

“Not too much, probably just that Benji jumps in training,” Turuva said.

“Like he’ll give Api a rest and just jump in there, but other than that, they’re both pretty chilled.

“They know their game, they’re really smart, both of them, but not too much difference there.”

Tigers Recruit's 'Starstruck' Encounter with Benji: Unique Traits Compared to Cleary

So does Turuva dare to dream of being on the receiving end of a flick pass from Jarome Luai to emulate Marshall’s match winning play in the 2005 decider?

“Hopefully,” Turuva said with a laugh.

“I just want to take it day by day at the moment.

“I’ve got a big pre-season to come. Still got another few weeks.”

After signing the likes of Luai, Terrell May, Jeral Skelton, Royce Hunt and Jack Bird over the off-season, it may surprise some that Turuva has been one of the leaders during the pre-season on and off the field.

Always loud and with lots of energy, Turuva has been crucial in building team culture and keeping spirits high at the Tigers since arriving.

“It’s probably not a focus, that’s just how I am,” Turuva explained.

“That’s how I was at Penrith, that’s how I’ll still be here. Just playing music around the academy, being my loud self around the gym and that.

“Not that loud in fitness, I’ll go missing there. The boys know that, but yeah, I’m just trying to be my loud self around the boys.”

After coming from a club like the Panthers and only knowing success, Turuva believes it is up to him and his fellow former Penrith players to help instil what works in the Tigers squad.

“100 per cent, especially coming from club like Penrith to a club like the Tigers, even the little things you’re doing around the academy, the boys see that,” Turuva said.

“But I’m just trying to tackle on that new (leadership) role. There’s a lot of younger boys here, a bit different to Penrith, a couple more older boys there.

“For myself it’s just, sort of trying to take it day by day. Hanging around the younger boys, I’m still pretty young myself. I’m just still early on in my career.”

After being given a week’s rest while he processed his decision to leave the Panthers, Turuva has come a long way.

Making his transition to the Tigers easier has been having the support of his former teammates and his cousin in new skipper Api Koroisau.

“That made things a lot easier,” Turuva said.

“I was speaking to Api through that time as well. I’m obviously pretty close with Api.

“I know Jahream (Bula), and then obviously seeing Jeral (Skelton) and Terrell (May) sign here, I was so happy for that making that transition here a bit easier.”

So does Koroisau give his little cousin a bake every now and then and pull rank at training?

“No, not really, I think just because we know that we have that bond there, so I think it does make things easier where he can tip me off or he can give me a spray there if I really need it,” Turuva said.

“But pretty much every time I see him around training or even when I wasn’t here, things never change.

“We’re all just catching up. And then even over through Christmas break, I was going over to his house. We’d have Kava and catch up, but it’s always good to see him.”

While he has been commended for his own leadership, Turuva believes Koroisau and Luai are the true leaders of this new Tigers team.

“That’s Romy (Luai), he’s been the leader,” Turuva said.

“He takes over in the leadership meetings and just the normal meetings in general off the field, when we’re wrapping it up, him and Api they just take control there and they’ve been really good at that.”

Turuva has also lent on the support of his former Panthers teammates, who have helped him make the transition to a new club.

“We had some weddings in the off-season, we met with Critta (Crichton) on the weekend, went out to Korean BBQ,” Turuva said.

“We all just keep in touch as well, still pretty tight with all those Penrith boys.”

However, footy is rarely one of the topics of conversation when he catches up with his old teammates.

“No, not really, we just talk about life, because obviously we hardly see each other now, just catching up on what’s new, what we’ve been missing out on,” Turuva said.

“Then Spenny (Leniu) and Critta just got married, so I just asked them how their married life’s been, but it’s always good to see those boys.”

So has Turuva asked his married teammates for relationship advice?

“Yeah, sometimes, especially with Critta and Bizza (To’o), that guy talks to us like he is Dr. Phil. He’s the man, I love those boys,” Turuva said.

Turuva is especially close with former Panthers teammate and current Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton and he wants to help do similar things for the Tigers.

“What he’s done was pretty special, getting the captaincy as well, and then obviously taking the Dogs to the first week of the semis, but seeing what he’s done, it was pretty cool to see,” Turuva said.

“Especially being pretty close to him. The way he is, the way he is away from footy, it’s totally different.

“We see the videos of how he talks to the Doggies boys, he’s so professional, but still a kid away from footy, but I’m very proud of him.”

One regret Turuva has in joining the Tigers was the fact he missed out on going to Las Vegas with the Panthers this year, but he hopes his time will come with his new club.

“Bro, the year I come here, they want to go,” Turuva laughed.

“They planned it out. Nah, I’ve just got a job to do here at my new club, so really looking forward to it.”

Having had some down time in his native Fiji in the off-season, Turuva is refreshed and ready to make a splash at his new team in the pre-season.

“Pretty cruisy, I went to Fiji for four days, left on Boxing Day and had a wedding there,” Turuva said.

“I got to chill with my missus, get away for a bit and then came back and pretty much had to get ready for pre-season.”

The 22-year-old joins a Tigers team coming off three straight wooden spoons, after being a part of three title winning seasons with the Panthers since his debut in 2022.

Winning is all Turuva has ever known at NRL level, after scoring 30 tries in 52 games for Penrith and celebrating three of their last four Grand Final sides and two as a starter.

“I think this is only my third season of NRL, so yeah, for myself, it’s just the mindset I’m trying to get in is not looking at us as three-time wooden spooners,” Turuva said.

“It’s just coming here starting fresh. It’s something we’ve touched on as well. What’s happened in the past, it’s in the past now.

“We’ve got a couple of big signings here and we’re just here to change that around and get a couple more wins on the board and we’re looking to turn the club around.”

The club’s chief focus heading into 2025 is forming good habits at training that will lead to improved performances on game day.

“Things start here at training, all the little things, that’s what we’re trying to put into the club,” Turuva said.

“Like something that we are big on is everything starts at training and that will go into the game, so just creating good habits around the club, creating good relationships on and off the field especially, that’ll be a massive thing.”