Note: This is the Introduction to the Interview to inform readers how this will be appear on the blogs, and of the Competition.  However, we have put a small excerpt.

I am sure you didn’t come here for reflections and social commentary, after all, the subject matter in question relates to Ra-Ra-ra-ra-rugby, and one behemoth of a context at that… and that was a compliment!  However, these demur “smack you in the mouth” front-row forwards also have the Ballet in them, as it was Kees Meeuws, I believe, who many moons ago used this means to help maximise, what is nowadays, his crouch-touch-pause… cuddle… this is a contact sport you will know… I know, today this is more like crouch-touch-pause… have a cup of tea, with the amount of time it takes to get the scrum engaged, let alone married… Eh?

Some would say it’s a bit like reading my prose!  Hey, that’s enough from you, I do the talking, you just enjoy the ride, and maybe even the read

This is not a photo, but live footage. Yes that is another man's arm

This may not be the opening paragraph to a hard-hitting piece of, get to the good stuff, investigative journalism, therefore, it’s fortunate that I am a blogger, and I own my own donkey… ya dumb as… posterior! What this verbose-wordiness is attempting to creatively communicate is that we humans tend to like to get the inside scoop, the good oil, and even the dirt on those that our cultures elevate to the level of significance, which means in a “Kiwi” context, the All Blacks tend to hang out with Sir Ed… Hillary [if ya feel me... this is a "contact" post].

Okay, so this could well be my only time out in the blogging Sun, as soon, someone larger is looming!

While I am not promising anything, because then, I am down for the delivery, let me say that the interviewee in question has presently shared his existence in such a manner that simultaneously, you will get an inside peak into a “peaking” sportsman, without him, at the same time, getting into Graeme’s, I mean, Mr Henry’s little, very Un-Tiger-like, black book!

And, just before you’re thinking there might be some good fodder to hassle the man… Go on, to his face.  I dare ya! He might just go all McCaw on ya, and we all remember how that turned out!  It is just fortunate that in the Christian worldview, it is the righteousness of Another, and not our own, that saved our bacon… Mmmm. Christian worldview?  I said we were going to get personal, and this will be just one subject matter that we will throw a light on!

It's time to give my quick draw mccaw on this guy

With all this in mind, and now that I have already shown my hand, I would like to welcome Neemia “I am gonna Tialata your good self” onto the blogosphere!  The Crowd Goes Wild, even at Prime Time!

This is the Haka - Personal Enough!

To give you a foretaste of what you will be reading, let me cut a little meat off the bone… taste and see that this is gonna be good…

Here is an excerpt:

JK: Talk to us about how the Twitter thing got started.  What gave you the idea, how it has developed, and where you’d like it to head in the future. NT: That’s a good question actually.  To be honest, at the start I was not optimistic about the whole thing.  I don’t like sharing my personal life with others, but… I don’t know, I’ve seen over the past couple of years the effect that I can give to other people, especially to kids, and I can relate that, putting myself in that situation, thinking back from where I started as well that I had no role model, or a father figure to obviously, get advice from… to follow.  The Wellington Rugby Union asked myself and “CJ” if we could do this… JK: {cuts in} Ok yeah, Corey Jane.  Soup!  Just to cut in on there.  Are you able to tell us why, Soup?  Is he a fan of the… NT: {Chuckles} It’s quite funny actually, he said, the story behind soup… [To be Continued]

Ooooh, the suspense of it all!

Now that you have some idea of what this will read like, let me provide a little overview of where we will be heading over the coming weeks >….>….>

NEEMIA TIALATA: On the Record, Off the Hook!

The blog series where the man digresses on Family, Faith, and Football… RUGBY UNION… Sorry, the law of alliteration won the moment!

While to-date, I have referred to this more as an interview, in the end, it may be best described as a conversation that may impact on its presentation, but you can judge this for yourself!  What it will be is more [but not exhaustive or complete, obviously] of an inside look into what makes this man into the, what you see and what you get.  How many posts this takes will depend on how much material I put in each one of these posts, and I have approx. an hour’s worth of audio to dig through, presently.  This is not taking into account the material on the discussion in the context of Rugby, which is probably the digression that really causes many of you to salivate… Lizard!

What you will get to read, will be his words, with some of this blogger’s on the side.  It is my desire to let this man speak, and for the public to have a more un-mediated experience of one such rugby individual. While he is experienced on the stage, it is very easy to forget that he is a man of like passions [in contrast to Another in Hebrews 4:15], which means he is not only married to his present humanity, but this outworks itself in his life… like you and me!

If there is a lesson for us in this context, and there is more than one, we need to right size our rugby stars more honestly, through the trajectory of our shared humanity, and not merely through their acquired status.  Not only would this help all of us deal with the context of fame and the fortune-ate, it will also help us when deciding whom we should look toward for our modeling… role, and otherwise.  We would also have a more “real” basis for translating the “shuperstars” impact, into our own lives. However, we do live in a celebrity culture that we are all guilty of living vicariously through, in some shape and form.  I hope this conversation with Neemia helps to, in some small way, humanise the man and his profession, and who knows where this could possibly lead!  If so, you the reader, will have to give it wings!

Okay, okay, we will take a word out, and break it down!

Now break it right down, with words which will end… soon!

1] The Next Post will be PART ONE in the Interview-Conversation with Neemia Tialata.

2] Every post, including this one you are reading, will give you the opportunity to go in the draw to WIN…  You can enter after every post, by doing the following…

If you haven’t already, you need to follow Neyza3 on Twitter… and… iamjonnyking on Twitter!

THEN, you need to re-tweet each post onto your Twitter page, which you can complete through the icon at the bottom of each post.

AND THEN, You need to leave a comment on each post on the blog, confirming that you have payed your dues. You can do this only ONCE for each post, which means if there are 3 posts, you will only need to follow on Twitter once [if you aren't already], but you can enter 3 times, as you just re-tweet the subsequent two posts, thereby giving you more chances of winning… NO, you don’t have to use your real name when making a comment if you are fearing Google… NO, it doesn’t have to sound anything special!

AND THE OTHER THAN, When this series is finished, Neemia will draw the winner/s, which will be posted on the blogs, where you will need to get back in contact with me and confirm your details, and we will send you your gift, graciously!

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T HAVE A TWITTER ACCOUNT? You really should get one, which will help you stay in touch.  However, if you haven’t or you won’t, then daily links-posts onto your Facebook page, may just get you into the draw, but please, let me know in your comment that you are taking this route!

Wanna know what you might win?

A signed picture of i am jonny king!  What?  You don’t want that!

Okay, how about the following…

It is something you can WEAR!  I have just been informed by Neemia that you will win a new 2010 Hurricanes jersey, signed by the squad, and depending on how many responses-comments come through, Neemia has indicated that there may-will be more than 1 winner if there are comments for days!

Win a new 2010 Hurricanes jersey, signed by the squad

AND YES, EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN OUTER MONGOLIA, WE WILL SEND THIS TO YOU IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

I know, that is a pretty awesome prize, even if it not a Crusaders jersey… Sorry, I had to represent!

I can’t even enter the draw!

There we have it, we are going to have some interesting days on the blogs, and you are invited to join in the par-tae!

I am planning on getting the first post up, God willing, early in the working week, so I must be off!

Don’t forget to enter the draw, tell your friends, and enemies… and stay tuned!

Until Next Time

i am jonny king

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, AND WANT TO HOLLAR FOR NEEMIA, BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO ENTER THE DRAW BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THE BLOG, PLEASE USE THE SOCIAL MEDIA BUTTONS TO SPREAD THE WORD.  THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND WE WOULD BE VERY THANKFUL… MUCH