Warriors new sensation Katoa wanted to be an All Black
Growing up without a TV in a remote Tongan village, Warriors rookie sensation Eliesa Katoa had never watched an NRL game until he moved to New Zealand as a teenager.
In fact, there was only one person in his village who did have one. So he would often ask if he could stay over at the weekend and watch live sport, but it was never rugby league.
‘‘I’ll be honest, I never imagined myself playing league,’’ Katoa said. ‘‘I always thought I’d be playing for the All Blacks or Wallabies, but in my mind back then it was just to help my family out … by the time I had to switch to league I thought that’s my next call for me, to play NRL and I’ve achieved that.
‘‘But I didn’t watch the NRL at all back at home. I always watched the Super Rugby. In my little village, there was one TV there. On the weekend or after school I’d always go there and sleep there at their house and just ask if I could watch the game on the weekend. It was hard back then with only one TV.
‘‘Growing up on the island, there’s not much there, but just dreaming I’d get to play, and here I am in the NRL. It’s amazing.’’
The 20-year-old’s breakthrough has been one of the few positives in an otherwise forgettable start to the 2020 season for the Warriors, playing 52 minutes off the bench in round one before cementing a starting berth in the second row for the following three games.
He has even ticked off scoring his first try, crossing the line in the team’s sole victory, against the Dragons a fortnight ago.
But Katoa admitted he is still learn
ing the ropes in the 13-man code, after catching the Warriors’ attention while playing for the Tamaki College first XV in 2018.
Friday’s 26-0 defeat to the Panthers was just his 17th game of rugby league.
Katoa is still coming to terms with his meteoric rise, but he said his family in Tonga are oblivious to his newfound stardom. Without a TV, they have been unable to watch any of his games and
Katoa said they cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of his achievements.
‘‘When I made my debut for the Warriors I called my mum and told her I’m about to make my debut for the Warriors but in Tonga we don’t have any TV or anything like that, so they haven’t got any idea about the NRL. They don’t know it’s a big thing for us.
‘‘I told her ‘mum, I’m playing NRL’ and she’s like ‘oh cool, just look after yourself son and play your best’. She doesn’t know it’s a big thing, but they’re really happy for me.’’
But he is hoping that when the Covid-19 pandemic clears and border restrictions are lifted in New Zealand and Australia, that his mother and little sister will finally be able to travel across to watch him play.
‘‘That would be the best day ever in my life if I ran onto the field and saw my mum standing there in the grandstand looking at me. That’s definitely one of my dreams that one day I’ll get my mum to come to New Zealand to watch me play.
‘‘A couple of years from now, hopefully I’ll be able to bring them to New Zealand.’’
Meanwhile, Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has dropped Isaiah Papali’i for the Warriors round five match against the Cowboys on Friday night.
With Papali’i out, Adam Blair moves from prop to lock and Lachlan Burr returns from a head knock to take Blair’s place up front.
It is the only change to the starting side that was beaten 26-0 by the Panthers last week.
Agnatius Paasi (suspended) and Peta Hiku (rib injury) both missed the Panthers loss but have been named on the extended reserves bench.