Brad Takairangi - Contributor
I had just turned 30 years of age, was trying my hardest for a new contract that would see out my career with the mighty Eels, and I got dropped to play for Wenty in the Canterbury Cup.
Without a doubt, it came as a big shock to the system but I knew what happened next was going to shape the rest of my footy career.
I knew my form was down a bit – Parra had lost a few games we really should have won – and it is always the coach’s prerogative to pick the team he thinks will get back in the winner’s circle. But it hurt, bad.
I kept telling myself it was important to keep a sensible head and not go around kicking stones.
The coach wanted me to pull things back and relax a bit. He didn’t want me going for ‘The Big Play’ every time I got the ball. The message was loud and clear and it sank in. It had to …
Three games for the Wenty Magpies helped me a lot, but I think the big thing, which happened around the same time, was being chosen to captain the
Cook Islands in the World Cup qualifier against South Africa.
That was a fabulous honour I’ll cherish forever and I feel that’s where I regained some inspiration, my rugby league mojo.
There were lots of young players in that ‘Cookies’ team and, as a senior NRL player, they looked at me for some guidance. We played really well that day at Ringrose Park and won 66-6. I loved every second of it.
Brad Arthur had been keeping tabs on me for a while and then
Michael Jennings got injured.
I got a recall to the NRL in Round 17 and I’ve had some good fortune from there. I scored my first-ever hat-trick against the Wests Tigers and backed it up with another try against the Sea Eagles at Brooky. It felt good!
It’s now my challenge to stay in first grade and help our side in the most important time of the season.
SOUL-DESTROYING SPOON
We host the Warriors at Bankwest this Saturday at 3pm – this game will be a beauty!
Mooks (Stephen Kearney) has his boys playing some great footy and their record away from home this year has been good.
We’re having an up-and-down season but it is way better than last year when we ran last. When we’re on I feel like we can beat anyone, but we need to do it consistently.
From first-hand experience, I can report that ‘winning’ the wooden spoon is soul-destroying, it saps all of your confidence. You’re trying so hard but nothing, absolutely nothing, comes or goes your way.
Towards the end of last year, we were losing so many games I was embarrassed to leave the house. I just didn’t want to be seen out and about by anyone.
After games, I’d do the recovery stuff and go straight home. If my missus wanted to go to the shops or anything, I’d stay home. I didn’t want to be seen in public and I certainly didn’t want to talk about it.
We were close to teams a lot of the time but just couldn’t come up with that win. On some occasions, all we needed was a relieving penalty or a simple bounce of the ball. But it never happened and we finished last.
The most frustrating part was that we had a good team on paper, but things failed to click on the field. That losing feeling was terrible and nobody at Parramatta ever wants to experience it again.
Using that down period as fuel, we changed a lot of things in the lead-up to this season
A NEW LEGACY
The club had a big camp in the country and, on one day, every player was asked to get up and present the three things that
meant the most to them.
It wasn’t only the players – the coaches and the entire NRL staff got involved as well. When my turn arrived, the sessions were in full swing.
I began my presentation with a photo of me and my partner, Sara, along with our three kids Kahlia, Hurricane and Hayze (I’ll explain the kids’ names later!)
My second item was my debut Kiwis jumper while the third was a special photo collage of me and my Dad Louis, who played first grade for the Eels back in 1987.
The collage was a gift to me from a Parra fan and features an action shot of Dad, ball tucked under an arm and running towards me in a modern-day jumper. We both love it to bits.
Making the club great again was also a big part of our attitude throughout pre-season.
Everyone knows the Eels had their most famous and successful era in the ‘Eighties. The current group is trying to build things up and create our own history – a new legacy for the players and fans of today and tomorrow.
It seems like the perfect
time to do it as our squad has a great mix of youth and experience. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster season so far, but everyone knows we have a team capable of going deep into September.
I believe the momentum is building week-by-week and our new ‘fortress’ – Bankwest Stadium – is going to play a vital role.
BLESSED WITH A HURRICANE
I mentioned earlier that I’d reveal how Sara and I named our children.
Our eldest is daughter Kahlia. That’s a Hawaiian name which means ‘pure, clear and bright.’ We got together a list of about 10 girls’ names we liked and narrowed it down to Kahlia.
Hurricane, our first son, was named because of a conversation I had with my father when I was 14. He told me he was fascinated by the famous story of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, the American middleweight boxer who was wrongly convicted of murder and did 20 years in jail before he was finally released.
Dad loved that story and admired Carter so much that he wanted to name his first son Hurricane. When I arrived, Mum said no way, and that my name would be Bradley. Dad was filthy but, at the same time, happy and thankful I was born healthy and strong.
I decided growing up that if I was ever blessed with a son, I’d call him Hurricane.
Sara was a bit ‘iffy’ but when he was born, she piped up and said, ‘Yep, he looks like a Hurricane.’ All I can say is that he is living right up to his name!
Our youngest – Hayze – just turned 1. No great story around that one, we just liked the name and went with it.
I’d like to give a massive rap to Sara who blows me away with everything she does for our family. Only Kahlia is at school, so she has got the two boys at home every day when I’m out training or travelling. And that’s a lot of days!
Sara makes it a lot easier for me on the field by keeping home happy and sane. Speaking honestly, I don’t have to do too much with the kids when I get home – Sara is so good with them, she has it all covered.
Life is looking pretty good as you read this. Parra has laid the foundations for a successful year and everyone is enjoying our awesome new home ground.
You can sense the old confidence is coming back, and things on the family front couldn’t be better.
There is no need to kick any stones. We all just need to score more tries and kick more goals.
Read more at
https://www.playersvoice.com.au/brad-takairangi-embarrassed-leave-house/2/#PFghHTQktdE1lypw.99
