News Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu’s slow rise to the top

[Aristidiz]

What a story, hopefully he performs and retains his spot.

 

[ddt192]

Eshay Kiko. What a soldier. Fingers crossed he’s a diamond in the rough.

 

[KLil]

FAMILY club no more, we are now the CHARITY club.

Otherwise nice story, Rip in kix, dont hold back.

 

[KLil]

Okunbor completes redemption

Canterbury winger Jayden Okunbor has had a tumultuous time at the Bulldogs in recent years but he appears to have done enough to convince coach Trent Barrett that he has a future at the club.

Weekend Read understands that Okunbor, currently sidelined with a knee problem, has been offered a two-year deal to stay at the Bulldogs.

A new deal would cap a remarkable renaissance for Okunbor. A year ago he and teammate Corey Harawira-Naera had their contracts terminated by Canterbury after an incident during the pre-season in Port Macquarie.

They only had their contracts reinstated after an appeal. Harawira-Naera left for Canberra but Okunbor stayed and fought for his future, a decision that has now been vindicated as the Bulldogs prepare to offer him a new deal

Watched him and Crighton do sprints the other day, both do not look far off from a start tbh...

 

[Nasheed]

When Falakiko Manu was living out of his car, the easy option was to give up his NRL dream and head home to his native New Zealand.
For Manu, nothing has come easily. He felt the same when as a 16-year-old boy he flew out to Australia by himself in the hope of one day becoming a first-grader.

Unwanted and on the NRL scrap heap he was resigned to living in a single bed at the panel beaters where he worked. Manu called that home as recently as February and still managed to describe the living arrangement as some sort of luxury given how little he has had.

Rookie Falakiko Manu’s path to his NRL debut has been anything but easy.

Fast forward eight years from his arrival in Australia and Manu’s moment of truth came in the most surprising of fashions. The 24-year-old was plucked from obscurity to complete a surprise training session with the Bulldogs top grade squad just before Christmas. On the brink of giving up on his NRL dream Manu received a phone call which changed his life dramatically shortly after that December hitout.

“There was an opposed session against the NRL squad which wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Manu who was contracted to Canterbury’s feeder club Mounties. “They needed some players. It was pretty much the game of my life. We played full on. I was breaking the line and running around the NRL squad. I was shocked how well I went.

“Straight after the session the Bulldogs reached out. They told me they wanted me to complete the rest of pre-season. That training session changed everything. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Manu is the shining light in another dark week for the Bulldogs. The club were lumped with a $50,000 fine, five players were unavailable to play the Sea Eagles on Saturday while star signing Nick Cotric was ruled out for the season.

Manu’s debut has been more than a decade in the making. He was bright eyed and hopeful when he secured a scholarship with Ipswich State High after being scouted dominating in south Auckland.

The Bulldogs spotted him at school and moved him to Sydney to be part of their under-20s set-up. Two seasons at Canterbury ended in 2016 and the next year Manu was relegated to park footballer.

The third tier Ron Massey Cup was the highest level he would play as he battled a run of injuries including a shoulder reconstruction.

“I wanted to go home,” Manu said. “I was depressed. I knew I was good enough but I just needed to get a go. I didn’t want to let my family down. When I came here I told myself I wanted to do my parents proud. I thought I’d rather suffer here and try and get to where I want to be rather than go back home.”

Manu was struggling away from the field too. Out of the NRL system he found salvation in his work. His boss Jim Angelis was introduced to Manu by the Bulldogs when he was a hopeful first grader.

“I told him I only had one condition – that he was punctual,” Angelis said. “I said we start at 7:30am. Little did I know he was living in Cabramatta. His travel time started at 4:30am and he had to walk, take two rains and a bus. He never late. He would finish up work and then head to training.

“After a while we got wind he was sleeping in his car. We found him scruffy and not his normal self. “We have a little sick-bay area and we offered it to him. He stayed here for two years and has become part of the family.”

Manu knew he was at his lowest ebb when he was found in the car.

The space in the workshop that Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu called home.

“I didn’t want them to come and see me sitting in my car,” Manu said. “It got to the point where living in it was uncomfortable. All I had was my one suitcase. I didn’t want help from anyone. I kept telling my family back home that I didn’t know what to do or how I would get into the NRL.

“At times it got tough but I got used to being on my own. I’m not that the type that wanted a better bed or anything. I was showering on top of a toilet. I am forever grateful to my boss. I wasn’t paying rent, I was just over the moon to have somewhere to sleep.

“When I moved into the work shop I thought life was great. If it wasn’t for my job I wouldn’t left to go home.”

Even after that dream pre-season training run Manu was still living in the small room at the Angel Smash Repair at Belmore. He stayed there until February after earning a summer contract with the Bulldogs and being surrounded by teammates on rich six figure contracts. Manu featured in reserve grade this year and kept training with the NRL squad once a week.

Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu in action for Mounties.

He received a phone call last Sunday that he needed to be at Belmore this week to cover for Canterbury’s growing sidelined contingent but it was not until Tuesday where he found out he was going to make his debut by coach Trent Barrett.

“My body just paused,” Manu said. “I got very emotional. I couldn’t stop crying. When I was all alone and living in the shop and car – I thought one day when I make it this will all be worth it. That’s what I kept telling myself.

“I can’t even remember what Trent said. I was just shaking. I always told myself that I only needed one chance.

“I am just ready to rip in.”

He looks like he has spent 2 years in Silverwater, and is 6 months away from going back in for whatever same shit he did the first time round.

 

[D.O.W.]

Fantastic story! Kiko’s journey puts a lot of things into perspective, he’s showed incredible commitment and resilience, best of luck brother, hope you have a blinder! Your family would be proud.

 

[2ndphase]

FAMILY club no more, we are now the CHARITY club.

Otherwise nice story, Rip in kix, dont hold back.

Thats pretty shit!

 

[Nasheed]

Everyone jokes we may as well get homeless randoms off the street to play,
we literally have just done that.

 

[2ndphase]

Everyone jokes we may as well get homeless randoms off the street to play,
we literally have just done that.

I normally look past your bullshit but this is just fucked!!
Give yourself an uppercut!

 

[dogwhisperer]

He looks like he has spent 2 years in Silverwater, and is 6 months away from going back in for whatever same shit he did the first time round.

Please vanish

 

[AlzzBulldog]

He looks like he has spent 2 years in Silverwater, and is 6 months away from going back in for whatever same shit he did the first time round.

How are you not banned already?

 

[Mak Dogs]

I hope he goes out there and has the game of his life. Good luck kiko

 

[Bob dog]

The guy he is replacing is the guy that will be missed the most who was on his own learning curve so lets hope he gets the basics right and makes the most of it, sounds like he has earnt a run in first grade anyway.

 

[flamebouyant]

Everyone jokes we may as well get homeless randoms off the street to play,
we literally have just done that.

Deadset, you are a trolling fucking tool!

 

[Nasheed]

Deadset, you are a trolling fucking tool!

Dark joke but I’m factually correct

 

[sifter6]

The Mounties games I have seen this year he has done well... deserves a chance ahead of the overpaid First Grade hacks. I'd like to see Watson Heleta get a shot too, offers more than Meaney or Katoa.

 

[D.O.W.]

Everyone jokes we may as well get homeless randoms off the street to play,
we literally have just done that.

Besides the obvious point of a distasteful attempt at humour, it’s insulting to a guy who literally sacrificed everything to reach his goal.

Most would have given up, Kiko pushed on and finally made it, respect.

 

[Papa Joe]

When Falakiko Manu was living out of his car, the easy option was to give up his NRL dream and head home to his native New Zealand.
For Manu, nothing has come easily. He felt the same when as a 16-year-old boy he flew out to Australia by himself in the hope of one day becoming a first-grader.

Unwanted and on the NRL scrap heap he was resigned to living in a single bed at the panel beaters where he worked. Manu called that home as recently as February and still managed to describe the living arrangement as some sort of luxury given how little he has had.

Rookie Falakiko Manu’s path to his NRL debut has been anything but easy.

Fast forward eight years from his arrival in Australia and Manu’s moment of truth came in the most surprising of fashions. The 24-year-old was plucked from obscurity to complete a surprise training session with the Bulldogs top grade squad just before Christmas. On the brink of giving up on his NRL dream Manu received a phone call which changed his life dramatically shortly after that December hitout.

“There was an opposed session against the NRL squad which wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Manu who was contracted to Canterbury’s feeder club Mounties. “They needed some players. It was pretty much the game of my life. We played full on. I was breaking the line and running around the NRL squad. I was shocked how well I went.

“Straight after the session the Bulldogs reached out. They told me they wanted me to complete the rest of pre-season. That training session changed everything. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Manu is the shining light in another dark week for the Bulldogs. The club were lumped with a $50,000 fine, five players were unavailable to play the Sea Eagles on Saturday while star signing Nick Cotric was ruled out for the season.

Manu’s debut has been more than a decade in the making. He was bright eyed and hopeful when he secured a scholarship with Ipswich State High after being scouted dominating in south Auckland.

The Bulldogs spotted him at school and moved him to Sydney to be part of their under-20s set-up. Two seasons at Canterbury ended in 2016 and the next year Manu was relegated to park footballer.

The third tier Ron Massey Cup was the highest level he would play as he battled a run of injuries including a shoulder reconstruction.

“I wanted to go home,” Manu said. “I was depressed. I knew I was good enough but I just needed to get a go. I didn’t want to let my family down. When I came here I told myself I wanted to do my parents proud. I thought I’d rather suffer here and try and get to where I want to be rather than go back home.”

Manu was struggling away from the field too. Out of the NRL system he found salvation in his work. His boss Jim Angelis was introduced to Manu by the Bulldogs when he was a hopeful first grader.

“I told him I only had one condition – that he was punctual,” Angelis said. “I said we start at 7:30am. Little did I know he was living in Cabramatta. His travel time started at 4:30am and he had to walk, take two rains and a bus. He never late. He would finish up work and then head to training.

“After a while we got wind he was sleeping in his car. We found him scruffy and not his normal self. “We have a little sick-bay area and we offered it to him. He stayed here for two years and has become part of the family.”

Manu knew he was at his lowest ebb when he was found in the car.

The space in the workshop that Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu called home.

“I didn’t want them to come and see me sitting in my car,” Manu said. “It got to the point where living in it was uncomfortable. All I had was my one suitcase. I didn’t want help from anyone. I kept telling my family back home that I didn’t know what to do or how I would get into the NRL.

“At times it got tough but I got used to being on my own. I’m not that the type that wanted a better bed or anything. I was showering on top of a toilet. I am forever grateful to my boss. I wasn’t paying rent, I was just over the moon to have somewhere to sleep.

“When I moved into the work shop I thought life was great. If it wasn’t for my job I wouldn’t left to go home.”

Even after that dream pre-season training run Manu was still living in the small room at the Angel Smash Repair at Belmore. He stayed there until February after earning a summer contract with the Bulldogs and being surrounded by teammates on rich six figure contracts. Manu featured in reserve grade this year and kept training with the NRL squad once a week.

Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Falakiko Manu in action for Mounties.

He received a phone call last Sunday that he needed to be at Belmore this week to cover for Canterbury’s growing sidelined contingent but it was not until Tuesday where he found out he was going to make his debut by coach Trent Barrett.

“My body just paused,” Manu said. “I got very emotional. I couldn’t stop crying. When I was all alone and living in the shop and car – I thought one day when I make it this will all be worth it. That’s what I kept telling myself.

“I can’t even remember what Trent said. I was just shaking. I always told myself that I only needed one chance.

“I am just ready to rip in.”

To every MF who feels so entitled that they deserve to be in first grade and has a big cry when their dropped, go read this story and the wake up to yourselves.

And FFS stop asking everyone to wipe your arse for you when the diarrhoea kicks in because diarrhoea is what you are playing like.

Good luck to you Falakiko, I hope you kill it buddy. At least we know you won't be relying on anyone other than yourself to get it done.

You are already a champion in my eyes.

 

[Nasheed]

Besides the obvious point of a distasteful attempt at humour, it’s insulting to a guy who literally sacrificed everything to reach his goal.

Most would have given up, Kiko pushed on and finally made it, respect.

I respect the tenacity. Fo sho. If the article is to be believed, remember journalists love this ‘down and out come good’ story. It’s possible he was sleeping in his car because he was blacked out on henny, don’t discount that, BUT I don’t want to consider that type of angle or possibility, it’s irrelevant.
Buy what I DO want to talk about is the other side of the coin, the non human side. The CB bulldogs side.
This is very concerning that we are at the stage where we is pulling RON MASSEY players with troubled pasts into first grade.
I know that sounds ruthless on one level. But it’s honestly worriesome.
Storm are signing talent left right and centre on top of bona fide stars, and we are pulling guys with neck tatts from Massey who sleep in their car!
I know that sounds insensitive but that’s a huge worry that we are in that position.
I do respect his attitude though.

 

[NQ Dog]

Fuk me, reading that actually made me a bit emotional (Bare in mind I'm 6 beers in). Go for it young fella, play the game of your life! Drop the other c#nts regardless and stick with this guy. This is the sort of person I would want to be in a trench with.

12 more like him with the passion for success is what we need. Not over inflated ego's. Make your parents proud young bloke.