Korbin Sims ready for baptism of fire against Tariq

There is an old Dire Straits song that has the line about being "fools to make war on our brothers in arms", but in the case of Korbin and Tariq Sims they simply have no choice.

The siblings will battle in the sudden-death semi-final between the Broncos and Dragons at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, a finals stoush that Korbin has already been waiting 26 years and 247 days for.

He’s played 119 NRL games now, but never had the chance to test himself in the finals cauldron.

That opportunity is three days away and Korbin is counting down after missing last year's series with a broken arm.

During this week silence will be golden between the two brothers, who will play together next year when Korbin joins the Dragons. The two had a chat early in the week but won’t speak again until after the full-time siren.

"It’s not so much where you are going to go out of your way [to smash Tariq], but if we cross paths we are going to try and line each other up," Korbin said of the looming showdown.

"I’m sure he’s thinking the same about me when he ventures into the middle and I am milling around the edge.

"It is going to be an interesting battle and, depending on how the result goes, I really hope there are no grudges held next year."

The Gerringong backyard of parents Jacqueline and Peter Sims was not a venue where Korbin dominated as a youth when two sisters and three brothers rumbled. He joked that he was either in the background or "crying to mum" that he didn’t get his turn.

"But I think on the weekend that it might be my turn,” he chuckled.

As for who the family at large is backing, it's hard to know for sure.

"I’ve got a dad that doesn’t really care who wins, a mum who is passionate about going for any team, a sister [Canecia] that lives in Queensland and a sister [Ruan] that lives in Cronulla…so it is fairly split down the middle. Then my brother [Ashton] is over in England and he doesn’t care who wins," he says.

"Just so long as we play good footy… and mum just cares that we don’t hurt each other."

Last year Korbin had his finals dream snatched away from him when he broke his arm in the round 25 clash with the Eels, but he immediately set himself a goal of playing in the grand final if Brisbane got that far.

"I had surgery, a week off and then I took my cast off and got straight back into training because I wanted to get back playing, and if that meant I would put myself in harm's way to do it for the team, then I was going to do it, but it didn’t pan out that way," Korbin told pan66.com

"I asked Wayne if I could play the prelim final in Melbourne. He didn’t give me an answer but unfortunately, medically, they ruled me out."

It explains why he admitted to be being "a little worried" when Bennett put him back on for the last five minutes against Manly last week "just in case" something did happen.

Korbin came to Brisbane to win a premiership and he insists the Broncos have the side to go all the way.

Whatever happens on Sunday, the Sims boys will walk off the field with mutual admiration.

"The ultimate goal we both have is to win a premiership," Korbin said.

" He achieved one of his goals this year of playing State of Origin. I am proud of what he is doing and what he has done in his career, and what he had to endure and overcome with injury.

"Whatever happens this weekend I am sure we will be proud of each other."

To take another line out of 'Brothers in Arms', Sunday will be a "baptism of fire" for both Tariq and Korbin, but in the end a game of rugby league and not a war. Just don’t tell the Dragons or the Broncos fans.

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