His love of Gerringong, his home town on the NSW south coast, is almost palpable.

But you get the feeling there’s a little bit of love there for Mudgee too. 

Glen Willow is a reasonably happy hunting ground for the Lions product.

Sims had a barnstormer at the ground in 2012, scoring two tries, and put himself right in the State of Origin frame.

City won that game, you’d remember, 24-22.

Five years on, Sims will joins one of Dubbo’s favourite sporting sons, Andrew Ryan, as the most capped Country origin player on Sunday when he runs out on to Glen Willow for a second time, his sixth total in the maroon and gold.

It’s a record that means plenty to the 27-year-old.

“Country footy to me represents all of the hard working people living on the land, that travel far and wide to get their kids to sporting events so they can enjoy the luxuries the people in the city have,” Sims, who has played five State of Origin matches, said.

“And obviously my family from Gerringong. Being the last City-Country game I would have loved to have seen it taken to Michael Cronin Oval, where I learned the trade … but it’s dispersing after this year which is a massive shame.

“It’s a big loss for people that live in the country. They travel two to three hours to get to a game, it’s not like living in Woolongong where you can shoot over to WIN Stadium … they make a huge day out of it. Unfortunately it’s coming to an end.”

The Sims family is one of the more intriguing in rugby league.

Tariq’s sister Ruan is the game’s most prominent female player and will captain Australia’s women’s team, the Jillaroos, on Friday night while his brother Korbin will play for the Fiji Bati in a Test match on Saturday.

Tariq though, the youngest of the Sims clan, never thinks twice about representing Country. It means too much to him because it means so much to the bush.

That was the reason he turned down the chance to play for Fiji for a sixth times this weekend and head to Mudgee instead.

“When you take it to the bush, you can see it on the people and the kids and the fans, how much it means to them,” the Dragons backrower said.

“It’s a bit of a shame it’s coming to an end.

“This is my sixth City-Country game and I know I’ve got a bit of family coming down, this weekend’s a rep round for my family.

“I don’t think mum will be able to make it to all the games but she’ll probably do her best.”

Just like all country mums.