Pau chasing another title triumph with Roos
REPRESENTING his people in Oztag at the end of the year will be a highlight of Isaiah Pau’s life but first his focus is on invoking the spirit that moved Kangaroos to the 2014 title in the hunt for a repeat.
The centre feels a similar vibe from the 2018 crop under the same maestro who conducted the title triumph Pau played for in Michael White.
The players are singing to his tune for the most part, other than a poor first half against Innisfail last week, something they plan to make up for in spades against Edmonton tonight.
Pau said there were so many good memories flowing through him from four years ago and he wanted his “cousins and brothers” at Roos to feel the same.
“We’re pretty much family. Most of us are like cousins and brothers and that and it’s good to have the boys here with the commitment we’ve had and hopefully that should pick up again,” he said.
“There were so many good memories back then, so hopefully we can get the same feeling this year and make finals.
“I think there’s a lot of similarities between 2014 and now.
“The main thing is discipline. Hopefully we pick up that attitude and discipline for next week.”
Whatever happens this season, the after-school carer has the Oztag World Cup to look forward to at Coffs Harbour in December.
Pau will not only be playing for his mum, who got him into the sport, but maybe his brother Sam too, who is racing the clock to return from a leg injury.
“I definitely will be proud for that, being an indigenous person really means a lot,” he said. “Hopefully I back myself when I’m down there and have a good game and play for fun and get a win.
“It’s a good opportunity. I’ve played that since I was a kid and that was Mum’s sport back in the day, so it runs through the family.”
Roos could climb as high as second on the CDRL ladder with a win over the hapless Storm.