THIS time last year, Jorge Taufua was working in a bottle shop at Prospect and nursing a worrisome footy hangover from season 2011.
But nevertheless, he was happy.
"I was working at the bottle shop on the highway there at Prospect ... it was probably the best time of my life," the quietly spoken Sea Eagles winger said.
After his performances over the past two Friday nights, Taufua might have to take stock of that statement.
Last week, his return of 246 running metres and 14 tackle busts was lost amid the autopsy into where the premiers went wrong against Canterbury.
But an even better performance last night was there for all to see, and it has delivered the most remarkable rags-to-riches story of this year's finals series.
A Wentworthville junior, Taufua made Toyota Cup level at Parramatta before being told there was no future for him at the club. Infatuated with his stocky 102kg frame, Eels coaches tried to manufacture Taufua into a second-rower. But as he has proved with more runs than Sachin Tendulkar in the past fortnight, the 20-year-old thrives in open spaces.
"We probably didn't see eye-to-eye," he revealed. "They (Eels) wanted me to play a different position."
So before Taufua joined Tony Williams, David Williams and Jamie Buhrer as yet another Parramatta junior to lob in the Sea Eagles' nest there was tremendous uncertainty as he spent the off-season selling crates of beer and labouring.
"We were probably having Mad Monday with the under-20s (this time last year)," Taufua said. "I was just hanging around, scratching my head and thinking about what I would do (in 2012)."
Now Taufua is just 80 minutes away from a grand final in his NRL rookie season. Not bad for a kid who wakes at 6am some mornings to confront a huge train and bus commute from Rooty Hill to Manly's training base at Narrabeen.
"I don't want to put the mock on him, but he's a really good kid and taken every challenge he's received this year and come out the other side," Manly coach Geoff Toovey said. "I was pretty disappointed not to see him get the Rookie of the Year."
A premiership ring would be a fair consolation, but first they must overcome arch-rivals Melbourne at AAMI Park next Friday night.
Having missed last year's premiership with a torn pectoral muscle, co-captain Jason King is again doubtful with a shoulder injury. And then there's Manly's last September visit to Bleak City in 2009, when they were thrashed by nearly 50 points.
"We got flogged," five-eighth Kieran Foran recalled.
"I don't remember much apart from standing behind the try-line.
"It's tougher playing them down there. We're going to have to go up another level this week."
