Kikau’s inspiration from North family
A TOWNSVILLE family has played a starring role in the rise of Penrith Panthers star Viliame Kikau from a shy Fijian junior into a NRL premiership winner.
Kikau was part of Penrith’s grand final winning team that beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 14-12 in Sunday night’s decider at Suncorp Stadium, and watching from home in Townsville was Cheree Egan and her family.
Ms Egan and her children Tenille, Courtney and Leigh welcomed Kikau into their family as a home stay towards the end of 2013 as the talented but shy footy prodigy started his rugby league ascent with the Cowboys.
To this day Ms Egan still thinks of Kikau as her boy, and there was arguably no prouder Panthers fan in Queensland on Sunday night when the club sealed their close victory.
By his own admission, Kikau struggled in his early days living away from his native Fiji, where he had never left, before shifting almost a world away to Townsville and its completely different lifestyle and culture.
But no matter how tough a training session was, or how hard the home sickness struck, Ms Egan and her family was there for support.
“We were there to support him, listen to him and guide him when he needed it,” Ms Egan said. “It was about November 2013 when he first arrived, and the poor fellow... every plane he got was running late, so he was supposed to get in by the early afternoon, but he eventually arrived at about 10pm.
“This poor kid who had never been away from home was coming into our household that night, and you could see he was totally shellshocked. He was in a totally different culture.
“That pre-season was hard, we were trying to work out how to connect ... at first he wasn’t wanting to eat at the table with us.
“But it was like ‘mate, you’re one of us, you’re included with whatever we do’.
“Once we made that connection we saw a different side of him. He has a very deep humour and a very strong belief in his religion.”
Kikau spent two years with the Egan family, and has called the experience the transformative time of his life.
Had it not been for the Egans and their unwavering support, Kikau could have easily returned to Fiji and been lost to rugby league.
As it was, Kikau was able to overcome his homesickness thanks to his own willpower and the help of the Egans, along with the support of the
Cowboys.
F r o m there the sky was the limit for Kikau, who shifted to the
Panthers in
2016 and became one of rugby league’s most destructive enforcers.
Kikau has experienced plenty of highs and lows during the years since he left Townsville and the sanctuary of the Egan household, but he has never forgotten the crucial role they played in his ascension.
“To this day I am very
grateful f to the Cowboys for putting me with Cheree and her beautiful family,” Kikau said.
“If they were here with me now, I would give them a massive hug. We message each other nearly every day and they always care for me and ask after me.
“They are all a part of my journey now and set me on the path to where I am today.
I wouldn’t be b here h without i h t them.”
Ms Egan stays in touch with Kikau regularly and they almost texted daily in the lead-up to the grand final.
The room where Kikau stayed still has a sticker with the name ‘Kikau’ on it, and it’s likely the name will never be removed.
“They are part of my family now,” Kikau said.