League: Tahu wants his credibility back

Timana Tahu. Photo / Dean Purcell

Maori league star Timana Tahu has returned to Australia after Saturday's 18-18 draw with England vowing to clear his name of racism accusations.

Tahu told Australia's Sunday Telegraph "my name's mud at the moment" because of claims he called a 16-year-old opponent a "black c***" in an Aboriginal knockout tournament a fortnight ago.

Tahu has denied the claim.

"I know how it's going to finish. I'm going to go home and fix it all up.

"I'm not going to let this go because my name's mud at the moment and I've been dragged through the mud and I want to get my credibility back.

"I'm going to fight till I do. A lot was said in the papers; it felt like it was a lot of negative stuff.

"I'm going to turn that around because a lot of it was all lies."

The Parramatta star, who had a solid game for the Maori on Saturday, walked out of the New South Wales State of Origin team in June after Andrew Johns, who was involved with the side as assistant coach, used the same racial slur to describe Queensland's Greg Inglis.

Johns later stepped down from his role with the New South Wales squad. He made the comments while analysing the Queensland centre during a video session.

Tahu released a video statement through the Parramatta club in which he rebutted suggestions that just one comment had come from Johns. Tahu said the racial vilification went much further than the one-off comment.

New South Wales lost the Origin series 3-0.