Wilson’s success all about hard yakka
NOTHING sums up the way Parahi Wilson is known for his work ethic better than his time as Gold Coast Titans under-20s captain.
With a young family to support – he became a father at 17 – the lock forward nicknamed “Puds” would take balancing football and work as a concreter to the extreme.
On training days, it was common to see him rush straight from work and sprint from the carpark to the paddock, still covered in concrete, and rip into the session.
There were even times when the side would play on a Friday or Monday afternoon when Wilson would finish work only a couple of hours before playing 80 minutes at Cbus Super Stadium – and then head off to help out with duties at home.
“I played maybe two or three games when I worked the same day, which was not ideal but got to pay the bills so I had to go to work,” he said.
Wilson came into the Gold Coast Titans system in a roundabout way, en route to graduating to Burleigh’s Queensland Cup squad.
He was recommended to Titans under-20s coach Ben Woolf by now Penrith fiveeighth Te Maire Martin as a top player from the pair’s home region of Hamilton on New Zealand’s North Island.
Wilson only moved to Australia to be with his partner and their son Rayne.
He started playing for Runaway Bay in the Gold CoastTweed competition before being approached by Woolf at a Pacific Islands tournament while representing Queensland Maori.
He played under Woolf for two seasons, leading the side for the second of those.
Now 22, he still works as a concreter for Eli Rapana – the father of star Canberra winger Jordan – and hasn’t lost any of his admirable workrate in transitioning to senior football.
“His work ethic at work obviously translates to his performance because he is probably one of our fittest players and does all the little things right for us,” Bears coach Jimmy Lenihan said.
Wilson was a fringe member of Burleigh’s premiershipwinning squad last year but now has a real chance to cement a regular Queensland Cup starting spot following a season-ending knee injury to firstchoice lock Jeff Lynch.
At only 97kg, he is a different prospect to Lynch and knows the unfortunate nature of his promotion has left him with “big shoes to fill”.
“The door is there wide open for me, I have just got to take it with both hands and do everything I can to keep that spot,” Wilson said.
In Burleigh’s narrow loss in Rockhampton last weekend, he racked up 37 tackles in just 52 minutes.
Tomorrow at Pizzey Park, the challenge in front of him will be Souths Logan’s powerful forward pack including the Broncos-contracted Joe Boyce as his opposite number.