By MARK CASHMAN

Tatafu Polota-Nau is passionate about his club the Western Sydney Two Blues and he reckons that the Shute Shield could be even better if the NSW Waratahs took a hard line with their stars who will head back to club land soon.

As it now stands clubs like Sydney Uni and Randwick amongst others, will get a massive injection of talent at the back end of the competition when Super Rugby AU finishes at the start of September.

Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper has already flagged his interest in playing in the big northern beaches derby match between Manly and Warringah at Manly Oval on September 5 and at the current rate the Waratahs’ commitments will almost certainly finish at the end of August.

They have the bye in the final round of Super Rugby AU with the top three ranked teams playing off in a mini final series that will culminate on September 19.

“I believe NSW Rugby should be doing a much better job of dispersing the talent that they have,” Polota-Nau said.

“For the Shute Shield to grow as we would like see it grow they need to go to some of the less successful clubs.

“If I was contracted there I wouldn’t have any qualms about heading out to one of the lesser clubs like Penrith to help them along and make the competition better and certainly less predictable.”

A player draft if you like where the lower clubs’ areas of need could be shored up by professionally trained Waratahs and at the same time they would act as the game’s emissaries.

The 90-Test veteran is back in Australia thanks mainly to the Covid-19 pandemic but he says his fourth grade “sunset contract” with the Two Blues is one of the best things that he has done.

It has been all about reconnecting with a group of guys that he played with at school, colts and the early days of his grade career.

His last game of professional rugby was for the Leicester Tigers against Saracens on March 7 and his last Test was against Samoa at Bankwest Stadium in September of last year.

Each Saturday now he turns out for the Two Blues fourth grade side that features mates former first grade skipper Andrew Cox and Sam Evalu, who has more than 300 grade games at the Two Blues.

Throw in footy mates Louis Sakaria and lock Tom Wood and there is a pretty good core of experience in the ‘Fab Fours’ that sees them fifth on the ladder with two wins from their three fixtures.

Polota-Nau is filling in where he is needed from week to week and so far he has been dabbling in the back row (he actually played there in schoolboy rep footy) and spent time in the centres when their No.12 tweaked his hamstring against Randwick last weekend.

A run in the Two Blues first grade side is the last thing on his mind at the moment.

“I’m just concentrating on re-connecting with a lot of great mates and just having that joy of playing with them and being so sore that it’s hard to get out of bed on a Sunday morning,” Polota-Nau said.

“I’m helping with the administration at the club a bit too and just really trying to make the place somewhere where you can bring your family and friends.

“There is just so much potential in this part of Sydney for the game to grow but we need to operate in the right environment and if I can make that happen in my own way that would be great.”

Part of the Polota-Nau re-education program began after the fourth grade game against Randwick last weekend at Lidcombe Oval.

Many of the ‘Fab Fours’ struggled with the Two Blues victory song which is sung to the tune of the French national The Marseilles.

“I set them all the task about finding out about The Marseilles and why the Two Blues back in the day put their song to that tune,” Polota-Nau said.

“We all went back to the Lidcombe Hotel and they were all amazed to discover that the Marseilles told a story about overcoming tyranny and injustice and how violence helped their struggle.

“By the end of the night we were all belting out the club victory song with passion and new meaning.

“It’s a little thing but they all add up.

“When I was playing for the Wallabies I used to freak out my teammates when we played France because they thought I was singing the French national anthem but I was belting out the Two Blues victory song!”

As for the Two Blues top grade Polota-Nau says they are making progress and are not far off racking up a few wins.

“They are making progress,” Polota-Nau said. “The coaches under Joel Rivers are doing a great job it’s just up the players to learn from week to week, from training session to training session.”

You never know you might hear the unmistakable melody of the club victory song sooner rather than later.