Mum ‘stoked’ as Gagai prepares to make history
A WISH to simply please his mother led Dane Gagai to create what may become a piece of rugby league history at AAMI Park on Friday night.
The first All Stars pre-season NRL game between Indigenous and Maori teams has seen Gagai become the first man to be selected as a representative of both Indigenous and Maori teams.
The Queensland Origin three-quarter’s mother, Tania, comes from a Maori family.
Gagai will oppose seven former Indigenous teammates he played alongside when the NRL’S All-star concept was last aired two years ago.
When the Indigenous side beat a World All-stars selection 34-8 in Newcastle in 2017, Gagai’s teammates included Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell, Nathan Peats, Andrew Fifita, Leilani Latu, Tyrone Peachey and Bevan French.
All will be on the opposite side to Gagai on Friday night in Melbourne.
If the Indigenous-maori line-up takes root as a successful option for the NRL’S AllStars project after Friday’s match, the Mackay-born star will prove an important figure in its success.
Gagai’s father Ray, a son of two Torres Strait Islander parents, was also born in Mackay.
“My Mum was born in New Zealand. She was stoked when I made the decision,’’ said Gagai who scored a try for the Indigenous team in both the 2016 and 2017 All-star games.
“There was an opportunity to play for the Maori team that I couldn’t pass up.’’
Gagai elected to play for Australia at Test level as he was born and raised in Queensland.
Queensland clubs have supplied Jordan Kahu (Broncos) and Kevin Proctor (Titans) to a Maori side who yesterday named Warriors and Kiwi prop Adam Blair as captain.
They have sent Titans pair Peats and Latu and Broncos trio James Roberts, David Fifita and Kotoni Staggs to the Indigenous All-stars camp.
The Maori team may be playing for the first time in the All-star concept, but their players have amassed 223 Test appearances, with the five Indigenous players in the Laurie Daley-coached outfit to have played in 33 Test matches.