Eels veteran Takairangi playing for career

Parramatta's Brad Takairangi is playing for his career down the stretch of the season as he looks to secure a new contract at the club.

The 30-year old was dropped to the Canterbury Cup earlier in the season but has since discovered some of his best form.

Takairangi is coming off a hat-trick in the Eels' win over the Wests Tigers as he looks to solidify his role in the side's backline.

But it won't come easy after Parramatta signed former Panther flyer Waqa Blake and with Michael Jennings currently sidelined with a calf injury.

Takairangi opened up about how he was trying to play a consistent brand of footy.

“It was hard to hear but we were losing games and I wasn’t performing to the best of my ability,” Takairangi told The Daily Telegraph. 

“Brad’s message was pretty simple. He wants to see the reliable side of myself and not the guy who always goes for the big plays.

“No one likes playing premier league but I didn’t go back and kick stones. I just ripped in and I was lucky enough to get another shot.

“I had to go back there and work on a few things and luckily enough I’ve got another shot. Now I have to play like every game is my last.

“Hopefully I can stay up in the NRL and get myself a contract extension.”

Coming off arguably his best performance for the season, Takairangi was hoping to get a contract sorted with Parramatta soon.

“I want to get something sorted soon,” he said.

“I don’t want to be leaving it too late but I’ll just leave that to my manager.

“I’ll just worry about my end of the bargain and play some good footy.

“That performance on the weekend just goes to show the type of football that I can play.

“That is the standard I want to be playing at for the rest of the year.

“I think the stint back there in reserve grade really helped to remind me not to take anything for granted.

“I definitely won’t be doing that anymore.

“Waqa Blake has just signed, Jenko is injured, so we’ve got four quality centres that can all do a really good job.”