HIGH FLYING
Blackhawks star keeps goal alive in hunt for the title
KALIFA Faifai Loa’s re-enactment of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button continues, as the Blackhawks winger put in a commanding display upon the relaunch of the Intrust Super Cup.
The two-time Kiwi international has undergone something of a renaissance campaign, and in Townsville’s 28-10 triumph over Mackay on Saturday he put on another clinic.
After scoring the opening try after just three minutes, the former Cowboy finished with 197 running metres and three tackle busts, keeping his 2021 goal well and truly alive.
Faifai Loa said his mission at the start of the season was to run for 100m every game, a feat he has so far achieved. Having transformed himself during last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, shedding more than 20kg while taking up half-marathons, the veteran flyer told the Townsville Bulletin his teammates were beginning to refer to him as the side’s Benjamin Button for the way in which he has evolved the older he gets.
But he said it was not so much a matter of throwing himself into every opportunity. Rather the more experienced he has become, the sharper he was at identifying chances for him to strike.
“That was my goal, every game this year to try and achieve that and I didn’t even notice that I did that,” Faifai Loa said.
“You start to learn how to run after who’s got the quick play-the-balls like Bacho (Salam), Boycey (Joe Boyce),
Sam Hoare. The older I get the more I know who to run off.
“I know who our offloaders are, who does the quick playthe-balls, so I come off my wing to back them up. Most of us know what our abilities are and what we’re good at.
“I think I’m going all right. I’m here for another year so that’s saying something.
“They offered me another deal so that will be good. I didn’t think they would want an old bloke like me.”
Blackhawks coach Aaron Payne confirmed that while no official contracts for 2022 had been offered to players yet, he intended to keep the entire squad intact.
Faifai Loa is among that group – yet to sign but told he has a place with the side.
With 75 NRL games to his credit, Faifai Loa’s composure and willingness to take the hard yards coming out of trouble has caught Payne’s eye as the season has worn on.
His form had been enough to warrant a top-four finish for the club’s player of the year mantle, and his coach said his professionalism had been a trademark of his year.
“The thing with Kalifa is he’s a great finisher, he’s great at getting the ball out of our end, he’s safe under the high ball – everything you want from your winger,” Payne said.
“He’s got great body awareness and an offload that’s really valuable. He has the ability to find his front and make good metres, and he’s certainly understanding the game a bit better from his experience.
“We haven’t really done any contract negotiations with anyone for next year, but we’ve let the whole group know we want them around next year.
“He’s certainly someone we’ve told we want here,” Payne said.
For now all the club’s focus is on cementing a finals spot, with the job nearing completion with two rounds to go.
In a season when their casualty ward was often overflowing, Payne took heart from the fact his troops were returning at the right time.
Tom Hancock made his long-awaited comeback from injury, running for 137m while making 21 tackles in a 46 minute stint at lock.
Payne also expected skipper
Hoare and outside back Salam to be fit for selection against the Tweed Seagulls.
Now that he finally had some depth to work with, Payne said he would likely rotate players into the squad to ensure they have a large pool to select from for the finals.
“The fact we’re slowly getting those players back gives us some real depth and keeps the players on their toes,” he said.
“They need some accountability. They know they need to play well because there’s blokes missing out who probably should be in the side.”