Vatuvei: From cult hero to serious criminal charges
For much of the 2000s, a hulking winger with a glittering golden smile was one of the Warriors’ most recognisable players, but his career – and life – has taken some rusty turns.
The most serious came late in 2019 when Manu Vatuvei was arrested and charged for allegedly possessing methamphetamine for supply and importing the Class A drug. He has denied the charges.
The former Warriors star outed himself on Sunday night, 48 hours ahead of the deadline for him to take his suppression fight to the Court of Appeal, as the sportsman facing a string of methamphetamine charges, following a long battle to keep his name secret.
‘‘All of these charges are accusations and
I will be fighting my innocence for these charges,’’ Vatuvei said in a video posted to his Instagram.
Vatuvei first burst onto TV screens in 2004 with long flowing curly locks, as an 18-year-old making his NRL debut for the Warriors against the Rabbitohs.
A year later, he would make his test debut for the Kiwis in a whirlwind rise from the domestic Bartercard Cup competition to international league stardom inside 18 months and before his 20th birthday. Cult hero status quickly followed for the hard-running winger who scored a club record 152 tries in 226 appearances – third most for the Warriors behind Simon Mannering (301) and Stacey Jones (261). Vatuvei’s onfield highlights were topped by a World Cup victory over the Kangaroos in 2008 and playing in the 2011 NRL grand final won by Manly.
Vatuvei, who was named player of the year for the Warriors in 2010, was the club’s top tryscorer for seven straight years between 2008 and 2014.
His popularity was arguably never greater than when he won reality TV series Dancing with the Stars alongside dance partner Loryn Renyolds in June 2019.
Just six months later, Vatuvei would be arrested and charged. His name would remain a secret until late last week. A fan favourite during his 13 seasons at the Warriors, an out-of-favour Vatuvei left the club after limited game time to join Super League club Salford in 2017.
His final two seasons at the Warriors were blighted by injuries, talk of an impending move to play overseas and a prescription drugs saga when he was one of six players suspended over the incident.
Five of the group, including Vatuvei, mixed prescription pain pills and energy drinks on a night out in Auckland just a day after a 42-0 thrashing from Melbourne on Anzac Day. Vatuvei was given leave by the club on medical grounds following the incident.
A year earlier, Vatuvei was caught up in a saga alongside Konrad Hurrell and Dominique Peyroux when the trio attended a concert by R&B star Ginuwine the night before the team left for Australia in 2015.
Vatuvei also landed in hot
water when he tweeted he was at the cinema during the Warriors 50-16 thrashing from the Wests Tigers, instead of watching the game on TV.
When he left the club for Salford in 2017, the Warriors renamed Mt Smart Stadium to Manu Vatuvei Stadium for his farewell.
Injury cut his Super League stint with Salford short.
It wasn’t just Warriors fans who fell in love with Vatuvei, for a decade or so he was one of the biggest personalities across the NRL and not always for the right reasons.
A polarising figure, Vatuvei was unstoppable at his best but error-ridden at his worst.
That was something the 29-test Kiwi, who also played two tests for Mate Ma’a Tonga, acknowledged in his retirement post on social media in 2019.
Post his playing career, Vatuvei’s weight ballooned for a short time before he made the move to professional boxing a career that lasted just one fight following a pre-fight brain scan revealing a brain cyst.
Vatuvei made a tentative beginning to a new career in real estate last year but his employer noted at a court appearance in November that a loss of name suppression would cause it to ‘‘reconsider’’ the 35-year-old’s employment.
Vatuvei was charged alongside two others. One faces two counts of importing methamphetamine, and one count of possession for supply. Another man is also facing charges.
The accused are set to go to trial this year.
For a decade or so he [Vatuvei] was one of the biggest personalities across the NRL and not always for the right reasons.