Brenko brings the fire
INDIGENOUS Round means more to Gold Coast NRL newcomer Brenko Lee than most.
The centre will play his first game in Titans colours tonight at Suncorp Stadium as part of the code’s weekend of indigenous celebrations.
Lee and his family – he is one of 13 children – to this day uphold traditional values.
His father Lloyd is from Badu Island in the Torres Strait, where Lee visits annually in the off-season.
“Our traditions are very strong in our household,” he told the Bulletin.
“Everything we do is based on our culture, it’s our backbone. My parents, they have a traditional dance company so my little brothers and sisters do it, things like that.”
Also popular among the Logan-based family is “traditional food” such as turtle and dugong.
“You don’t buy it, you go hunting,” Lee said.
“That’s our tucker up in the islands, they hunt a lot.
“It’s very expensive up in the islands so if you don’t know how to hunt basically you have to work in a good job to get some food.
“I have to stay off it because of my weight but I could dig into it if there is some around.”
Lee’s travels north often coincide with the region’s league tournament, the Torres Strait Cup, during which he runs water for his family’s team.
The 22-year-old tonight comes into the Titans line-up at right centre, replacing axed Tongan Test star Konrad Hurrell, for their Round 10 match against Melbourne.
“To make my club debut against the reigning premiers, it doesn’t get any bigger,” he said.
“It’s Indigenous Round this weekend and it’s in my hometown Brisbane so friends and family will be there – I don’t think the occasion could be any bigger.”
The former Canberra and Canterbury player missed the start of the season with a knee injury and then had to bide his time in the Intrust Super Cup at Burleigh.
“I thought I started hitting my form against PNG and had that 18th man (for Titans last week) and now I am back in,” he said. “I just can’t wait.”