Becoming a Queenslander: A Conversation with Jeff Toomaga-Allen

Super Rugby may be in “off-season” at the moment, but that doesn’t mean the Reds boys are not training hard! (Some, of course, are going all in with the Wallabies, many are also ripping in and giving back to their local club in Brisbane.)

This week, right after a tough training session at Ballymore, I had the awesome opportunity to catch up with Reds Prop Jeff Tomaga-Allen. Jeff has been a powerhouse for the Reds forward pack ever since he arrived in Queensland at the start of this year. In 2024, he’s definitely left his mark in the Ballymore community on and off the rugby field.

We chatted about the advice he would give up-and coming rugby players, his own rugby journey and I got to ask him a few fun questions aswell!

I hope you enjoy reading our conversation!

What do you love the most about living here in Queensland?

Sharing a laugh with Jeff, earlier in the season.

I love the weather! It’s very appealing. And it’s good to have some banter with Queenslanders, especially when it comes to State of Origin, because I’m a New South Wales fan. That's League, so you know, that’s separate! But in terms of Queensland, I love it. There's a lot to do here. It's awesome, it’s a fantastic place to live.

What do you enjoy most, being based here at Ballymore, day to day?

The facilities, they're awesome. But getting to just come to work with a whole bunch of friends, that’s the best thing really.

We’ve got a good boss - and the whole management is really good. It's a great organisation, because the leadership is good from the top down. So it's a very comfortable environment to work.

How did your rugby journey start and what got you here to the Reds?

I started when I was six or seven and I just signed up to a local club down in Porirua, in Wellington, New Zealand.

And then, as I grew up, like everyone that grows up in New Zealand, I wanted to be an All Black, so by the time I was eight, I told my dad that's what I wanted to do. And then I made that dream come true later in life, which was cool. Then Kissy, the coach here, (Les Kiss) he gave me a call when I was overseas. I was playing at Ulster in Belfast.

Then Kissy gave me a call when I was off contract and asked if I wanted to come to Queensland. And then he got my wife on the call as well, then she shed a tear, and as soon as that happened, I knew I was coming to Queensland. It was because of the feeling it gave my wife, a sense of comfort and welcoming into, you know, something new… and a new challenge and what they were building here. So it was exciting because Kissy had seen me play against him in the Premiership when I was playing at the Wasps and he was with London Irish.

Also, the way he asked me to come, it was more so for the off field than the on field stuff. So more to create culture and bring experience, which I was excited about. And it was a new thing, because in the teams that I had been a part of, the culture was, not so much “set”, but the average age was 29-30. Whereas now, the average age here is 22-23. So I get to lead in a different sense and be that older kind of role model and literally bring my experience to the team.

What's been the highlight of your career so far?

Oh, wow. A few highlights! I know I have what people would call accolades, won a super rugby championship, debuted for the All Blacks, I've played for the Manu Samoa… but it's cheesy - actually it's not cheesy, but it's very sentimental... There are two highlights in my career so far, one was the day that my son realised I was an actual professional rugby player. And he was chuffed, because all his friends are like, “oh, your dad plays for Ulster” [in Ireland]. And then he came to the game and he asked me for my signature. That was big man, a very big moment for me. And then this year, actually running out with my son at Suncorp Stadium, every home game. Those are the two highlights so far, in my career.

What are some of your remaining personal goals, both inside and outside of rugby?

Personal goals… Oh, man, we can talk about a lot of things. I think, personally, both in rugby and out of rugby, is I just want to make an impact and influence in someone's life positively. And when I leave them, I want them to feel better about themselves and that there's hope in whatever situation that they have, whether that's in rugby chasing their dreams and goals, or in life, chasing whatever. And in rugby goals, I want to win a Super Rugby title with the Reds. That's my goal.

Yep, that’s my goal too! My next question is, what's your favourite post game meal?

Anything that's fatty [laughs]. Nah, I don’t really have a favourite. I do like, I love hot chips, and… you can't beat nuggets. McDonald's nuggets with sweet and sour sauce. No other sauce, just sweet and sour… and even chuck a burger in there, but nuggets and chips, that's the go-to.

Who in the team would you spotlight as someone that's been training hard during the off-season?

Ah… Alex Hodgeman… he sets a standard. Guppy is definitely one of the older boys leading from the front. And then with the younger boys… Ah, I’d say Massimo De Lutiis. He's really focused and locked in, really trying to make changes in his game, which is cool to see, even though it's off-season and you can easily cruise. I think there’s a real importance in this little time off at the moment.

Is it true that you earned the name Boggsy during a team trip this year?

[Laughs] Yes, it’s true. It’s a double up, because my room-mate is Boggsy, too. Josh Nasser, all right, but yes, definitely true. That happened. It was that bad that we changed rooms. We got to upgrade room, so maybe it was tactical.

With Jeff at Ballymore, the spiritual home of rugby in QLD

The Reds have had two cracker international games this year since the Super season ended. You faced off against Wales at Suncorp, before traveling to face Tonga. What was the highlight from those games?

Definitely scoring more tries against an international team. Oh yeah, and stopping their mauls! It was cool to see that a club team can do that, so that was a highlight.

And Tonga… I think just playing in the islands was awesome. Just for the culture and for the nation, it’s a small nation… So getting to play there and have the exposure over there for the game was good.

What's the number one piece of advice you would give to players that want to play at a higher level?

For young players, the shortest answer I can give is, nothing comes from nothing. So do something. Because there's no easy fix, there's no quick fix to success.

If there's any hard work, really hard work, dedication and not worrying about other people's opinions of you, staying true to your values and your upbringing and who you are as a person.

Thanks Jeff for taking time out today. Tell all the boys. I said, keep training hard during the off season.

Balance - have a break as well aye!