Loose Cannons
Newcastle Herald
Monday March 17, 2008
NEWCASTLE'S Bobby Tuimaualuga, aka Tank, is confident he will steamroll the competition on the new series of Gladiators.
He spoke to The Word in the lead-up to his television debut as Tank on Gladiators on Sunday, March 30, on Prime.Tank claims he is so named because his arms have always been referred to as his cannons.When he spoke to The Word, Tuimaualuga had already assumed the role of his television character and was ready for battle."On a battlefield, the tank is the foremost weapon of choice," he said. "It can win battles."Nothing can stop Tank. The Tank just keeps rolling."Tuimaualuga has a background in martial arts and boxing and is a trained gym instructor.He continues to live in Newcastle and commutes to Sydney to film Gladiators, which is hosted by The Great Outdoors presenter Tom Williams and former McLeod's Daughters actress Zoe Naylor.Retired rugby League referee Bill Harrigan will bring order to the challenges.The latest Gladiators series is a relaunch of the hit game show, which screened from 1995 to 1997 and was famed for the sight of average gym junkies trying to bash up the program's resident muscle men and women."You do get tired. We try to keep really fit," Tank said of the on-screen battles.Tank is not the first Novocastrian to play a Gladiator.Ron Reeve was an RAAF Williamtown electrical technician for nine years before he became Tower on the first series.Holmesville-raised Charlene Machin also played Storm during the same period from 1995-97.Tank will have to become accustomed to his Gladiator costume.Whenever the Gladiators appear in public, they have to stay in character even when they attend the Logies in May.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald