Vete: There were challenges here we didn’t anticipate but we got through and we’re stronger
KR STAR REFLECTS ON TOUGH FIRST YEAR FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND HIS HOPES FOR A BETTER 2022
In sport, fans naturally make a judgement on performance and performance alone. If a player doesn’t perform up to the required standard, supporters are quick to express their feelings either from the terraces or via social media.
But there is a human side to sport that is often overlooked.
Players have kids that don’t sleep, mounting costs and countless other everyday stresses that can follow a person around.
Already exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, those issues are magnified to an even greater degree when you take your family to the other side of the world.
That is exactly what Albert Vete did at the start of this year, arriving in Hull during the third national lockdown with nothing but a few suitcases.
The 28-year-old agreed a deal with Hull KR in November, swapping the comforts of home for a fresh challenge in England.
It was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down but the enormity of uprooting a family of five only truly dawned on him once he arrived.
“The first three months were the hardest,” Vete told the Mail.
“There was a lot going on off the field. We weren’t in a house yet and were hopping between Air Bnbs.
“It affected me a lot more than I thought it was going to. I probably underestimated how hard it was going to be in those first three months. My footy was a reflection of that. Once we got into the house and had all our stuff shipped over, me and my wife felt a bit more at home and into a better routine. That was probably reflected in my footy when I started to string some games together.
“It was a really tough period and it really tested our relationship at home. We just tried to stick together and get through it. It got easier but the first three months was tough.”
New Zealand’s decision to ease its border restrictions from January was met with joy and relief in the Vete household, which will welcome relatives next year.
But Vete and his family will have to wait a while longer to head the other way with the Super League season set to run from February to September.
“We have some hard days,” he said. “We’re missing out on things back home. I haven’t met my niece yet. I only have one brother and he had a kid this year.
“I didn’t go to the Christening. It’s little things like that you do miss.
“But I feel like I’m a lot more settled now. I really like the area I’m living in. My kids seem to be happy which makes me happy.”
By his own admission, Vete’s form suffered as he acclimatised.
He contributed five tries and was involved in some heavy collisions along the way but some supporters were left feeling shortchanged.
“I don’t really blame the fans because that’s what I get paid to do,” he said. “But at the same time I’m also a dad and also a husband.
“I feel like if you get things right at home or outside of footy, generally your footy takes care of itself. If you’re at home stressing and there’s a lot on your plate, I’m a big believer that it does affect your footy.
“There are challenges that we faced over here that we didn’t anticipate but we got through them and are stronger for it.
“The whole reason we moved over here was for a culture change and a lifestyle change. That’s what comes with it.”
Vete is not only in a better place mentally but physically as well at the start of his second pre-season with the club.
The prop was still nursing a hamstring issue when he arrived in February, just six weeks out from the start of the 2021 campaign.
Vete started the season but the injury flared up again in April, with a strained abductor tendon only adding to his woes. He missed two months before returning to play in 11 of the last 12 games.
“I tried to rush back and play round one then I got injured in round five,” said Vete.
“I was clearly underdone and I