The 27-year-old played rugby exclusively until he left school. But he wanted to work on his fitness and stay active, so he joined the South Pacific Raiders.
While rugby may have been his first love, he quickly discovered a passion for the 13-man game.
"[League] was something I did on the side," Tili said.
"I went and played a few games for South Pacific Raiders and kind of fell in love with league."
Club rugby followers will probably know Tili best as the burly Dunedin first five-eighth. He helped steer the Sharks into the premier final in 2016, but he has also played for Southern and Pirates as well. He has nice touch and some silky skills, though it is in league where Tili has made the greater impact. He has been a calming influence on the Whalers backline this season and helped guide the team through the South Island premiership unbeaten.
Now, he is hoping to contribute to another campaign. Otago will play the Wellington Orcas in a division two match in Petone today. Next week, it will host the Northland Swords in Dunedin. The prize for coming out on top is a promotion-relegation match, so there is plenty at stake.
The Whalers narrowly missed a shot at promotion last season when they were edged 26-24 by the Bay of Plenty Lakers in their final game. But it was impressive campaign from which the Whalers have been able to drawn inspiration.
"We have heaps of confidence, especially after what the boys did last year," Tili said.
He missed that campaign but can attest to the determination the camp feels this season.
"We had a goal to win the South Island competition right from the start and that is what we’ve done. Now, we move on to the next goal which is to win these next two games and go up to the top division."
The Whalers secured the South Island premiership with a convincing 44-18 win against the Tasman Titans in Blenheim earlier this month.
Tili played an important role in what was, in the end, a comprehensive victory. But the Titans rallied early in the second half and it was Tili who helped the team settle.
His sound decision-making and ability to direct the attack down the left proved fruitful.
He shapes as a key cog along with the likes of star second rower Jong Hoon Lee, whose defensive prowess and attacking ability mark him out as a player the opposition will be targeting for extra attention.
Lock Josh McKenzie is another strong ball carrier the Whalers will depend on for some metres in the middle of the park.
