TRAGEDY INSPIRES NEW OUTLOOK FOR SEAGULL
ALWAYS a prodigious talent in need of a mindset adjustment on his path to rugby league’s elite, a family tragedy has since proved the catalyst for Doryaan Hape Apiata’s resurgence.
Growing up as a star of the junior ranks, the Runaway Bay prop had been in and around the Gold Coast Titans NRL system, but had failed to reach the upper echelon of the game.
But according to his Seagulls coach Nick Gleeson, the sudden death of Apiata’s cousin Javarn Nofoagatotoa in 2019 changed everything for the young forward.
Now he stands as a starting member of the Burleigh Bears Queensland cup pack, a role he will assume for a second time on Saturday against Brisbane Tigers.
“His cousin was playing for me as well as Doryaan and he passed away, and it sort of flicked a gear for Dors. It still is a bit of a hard conversation for not just him but a fair few of the boys who were there that year,” Gleeson said.
“When you win a comp (in 2018) you get really close with the guys, and for that to happen the following year still hurts. Dors is a big man, but he’s a pretty emotional man at times.
“It meant he had to take footy a bit more seriously, and a guy with that size and talent was getting by on talent alone.
“Over the last 18 months he’s dropped 15kg, he trains really hard – five days a week – he’s a bit more dedicated, eating a lot better and really wants to give it a crack.
“Talent alone gets you there but once you get there you need to work hard and that’s probably not what he was doing. Myself and the club are really happy for him, having a junior of our club now starting in one of the best Qcup sides, we’re pretty proud of that.”
Apiata’s transition into the state league has coincided with a number of other Runaway Bay products taking the biggest leaps of their careers, leaving some gaping holes in Gleeson’s line-up for this week’s Rugby League Gold Coast clash with Ormeau.
Fullback Tyler Han will line up for the Papua New Guinea Hunters for a third time, with winger Terri Wapi joining him in the back three.
Young centre Flynn Groth has also been snapped up by the Ipswich Jets.
While Groth has “come out of nowhere” to be on the cusp of a Queensland Cup debut, and Han and Wapi have been on the Hunters radar since the start of the season, Apiata had to bide his time before making his Bears debut against Mackay.
Several times across the opening rounds he was named on the Burleigh bench, only for returning Gold Coast Titans players to force him out of the side. But he was quick to make an impression, running for 77m from just six carries off the interchange in his maiden appearance.
A starting effort against the highflying Capras quickly followed, and now Gleeson said he would be surprised if he saw much more of Apiata at Bycroft Oval – not that he was complaining.
He said such had been the way he had turned his preparation and game around, higher honours in the NRL would not be beyond his reach.
“I said to him ‘no offence, I don’t want you; you’re too good, you’re wasting your time here’, and that’s when it all started for him, he got to the gym and got really fit,” Gleeson said.
‘To be honest he was pretty frustrated (being selected then dropped), I think the inside joke between the boys was to make a call to Jarrod Wallace to pull out.
“But he’s remained positive this year, he’s trained really hard, he’s had injuries and suspensions so he’s had to wait his turn.
“Doryaan has a big future, it helps when you’re the biggest bloke on the field, fit and intimidating. I think he’s been patient this long; so if it comes it comes, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t.”
The Bears will take on the Tigers from 4pm at Pizzey Park, while Runaway Bay will face Ormeau from 3pm on Sunday.