Tohu Harris is a shy guy, polite and softly spoken.
His flowing long hair, fully filled beard and 112-kilo frame can make you forget this guy is just 22 years of age and halfway through just his second NRL season.
Two international caps and a try for New Zealand on his resume, coupled with the fact he has missed just two games in his first 18 months in the big time, proves that Harris is no ordinary second-year player.
Something the Titans discovered on Monday night.
Harris recorded 188 metres, the highest number of his short career to date, as well as adding two crucial line breaks to set up consecutive Melbourne tries in the final 10 minutes.
However, when asked what he made of his performance, what it meant to him personally for his growth and development, it was as though the word ‘I’ was completely foreign in his vocabulary.
“We were up for the game, we tried to put up a good performance, especially since everyone was counting us out with our Origin boys out,” said Harris.
“We are just focused on the fact that no matter who is in the team we do our job the best we can and put in a good performance for as long as we can.
“We knew that would put us in a good position at the end of the game.”
'We' and 'us' consistently roll off the tongue which makes you think this is a young man not aware nor wanting to be aware of what he has accomplished in such a short time.
Harris took out the club’s Rookie of the Year award last season whilst being nominated for the overall competition’s honour.
Second-year blues? Again, not a phrase he could comprehend given he has come off the bench to average 85 metres and 23 tackles.
When you finally twist his arm to say the dreaded one letter word he mutters it in line with a team ethos that has seen him become a consistent member of the Melbourne prop rotation.
“I just want to do my job every week just to stay in the 17,” said Harris.
“I’ll play any role that the coach requires of me, I just want to be playing each and every week and playing the best I can.”
Harris and his Storm teammates host the Eels at AAMI Park at 2pm on Sunday.
