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  • Manu is going...

    Well maybe nowhere...for now

    I would love to play for them': Manu dreams of All Blacks switch

    Joey Manu is used to playing a part in successful teams. He played in all bar one of the Roosters' matches on his way to a premiership in just his second full season of first grade last year.
    So perhaps it's only natural the softly-spoken, New Zealand born centre watched the All Blacks beat the Springboks in Japan on Saturday and thought he would one day love to trade his tri-colours kit for one of the most recognisable jerseys in world sport.

    "Ever since I was young I wanted to be an All Black. I’m still a big fan of them," Manu said. "Especially when it comes to World Cup’s. It’s a pretty big occasion for pretty much all New Zealanders.

    "I love [watching] at the moment but one day I would love to play for them."
    As a talented teen trying his hand at both rugby and rugby league in the Waikato region, Manu's knowledge of the 13-man game was limited. He knew even less about the club he now calls home.

    "I didn’t know much about the club or about their success or any of that," Manu said. "When I moved over here they flew
    me in week in and week out [for SG Ball].


    Joseph Manu crashes over for a try against the Rabbitohs in week one of the finals.CREDIT:GETTY

    "I knew they were a good club then that had good family values and all of that. Once I got here, I knew they were a good club."

    While Manu's knowledge of the NRL was limited, he idolised the All Blacks.

    Legendary playmaker Dan Carter and Waikato superstar Mils Muliaina were his favourites players as a boy.

    "Dan Carter is probably my favourite and then there are a couple of Chiefs boys - Mils Muliaina - I used to love watching him," Manu said. "At school I was [a playmaker] because we weren’t very good.

    "Sometimes we didn’t even have enough numbers at the games. We were known as a bit of a rough school in our area, down in the Waikato area. There are heaps of good rugby schools and good private schools but we were pretty much getting smashed every week."

    But Manu says he isn't going anywhere just yet.
    "I’m happy-as here for now at the Roosters," he said. "They gave me an opportunity and they changed my life and my family’s life. I’m real happy here and I love this club."

    He is off contract at the end of next season but wants to stay at the club for the foreseeable future, well aware his hometown of Tokoroa now expects him to bring the NRL trophy home for Christmas every year - as he did with teammate and fellow Tokoroa product Zane Tetevano this time last year.

    "They’re expecting it. They expect one every year now," Manu said with a laugh. "When you go back there now, everyone has a Roosters jersey.

    "There are still a couple of Souths fans and a few other teams but it’s pretty much all Roosters. We have Zane who is from there too so everyone has supported us.

    "They always support whoever makes it out of the town so everyone is a mad Roosters fan now. Every time I go back it’s pretty cool."

    Before he worries about bringing the Provan-Summons trophy back to Tokoroa for the second-straight year or a cross-code switch, Manu has a preliminary final showdown with the Storm to worry about.

    The premiers will start Saturday night's match as hot favourites, aided by Manu's scintillating form on their right edge.

    "I have been getting better but I always feel like I can get to another level," he said. "It’s been a good year but if I don’t play well in this game, it doesn’t really mean much. I just want to play well this game. I’ll look back at good how the year was after the season."


    Last edited by ROC181; 09-26-2019, 12:26 AM.

  • #2
    Far out, he really is a bloody star. Didn’t know about his upbringing. Like him even more now.
    Making Steve Naughton look like Vince Mellars...

    Comment


    • #3
      If he can crack the All-Blacks one day then all power to him.

      Its every Kiwi kid’s dream. The club wouldn’t stand in the way of that .

      Comment


      • #4
        Great article. Thanks for posting.

        Love the bit about his home town expecting him to bring the NRL trophy over every Christmas …

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Salvatori Grubber View Post
          Far out, he really is a bloody star. Didn’t know about his upbringing. Like him even more now.
          I posted another article after the GF last year about Manu and his relationship with Tetevano...Totally different characters yet they were very close back in their home town. Zane was the street kid from a broken family who was always getting in trouble but Joeys parents helped him through.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by ROC181 View Post

            I posted another article after the GF last year about Manu and his relationship with Tetevano...Totally different characters yet they were very close back in their home town. Zane was the street kid from a broken family who was always getting in trouble but Joeys parents helped him through.
            That right? Missed that one. I didn’t realise they had that connection.
            Making Steve Naughton look like Vince Mellars...

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Salvatori Grubber View Post

              That right? Missed that one. I didn’t realise they had that connection.
              Not sure if this is the same article, but well worth a read anyway.

              https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/two...21-p505ah.html
              "Do you expect me to talk"? "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die".

              Comment


              • #8
                Love Joey....but he isn't making the All Blacks.

                Comment


                • #9
                  With Izzy sniffing about, who knows?
                  "Qui audet adipiscitur"

                  WHO DARES WINS

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Bansai Pipeline View Post
                    If he can crack the All-Blacks one day then all power to him.

                    Its every Kiwi kid’s dream. The club wouldn’t stand in the way of that .
                    the wing position for the AB's is the shortest tenure & young stars have been added for the Web Ellis
                    it's also long waiting list for centre as the likes of & SBW & Crotty have been there for years with young bloods introduced the past 4 without a start....yet
                    "Qui audet adipiscitur"

                    WHO DARES WINS

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by 007 View Post

                      Not sure if this is the same article, but well worth a read anyway.

                      https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/two...21-p505ah.html
                      Nice read mate. Thanks for sharing this. I must have missed this one last year

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by 007 View Post

                        Not sure if this is the same article, but well worth a read anyway.

                        https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/two...21-p505ah.html
                        Beautiful article

                        Comment

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