Falakiko Manu will this weekend live out a childhood dream when he makes his NRL debut at the age of 24 for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Manu arrived in Australia from New Zealand in 2014 as a 16-year old boy when he flew out on his own, leaving family behind in the hope of one day becoming a first-grader.
He landed at Ipswich State High, before joining the Bulldogs under 20s in 2016 were he played 43 games across two seasons, before spending time playing park football with Cabramatta.
Contracted to Canterbury’s feeder club Mounties in 2021, Manu’s opportunity to live out his dream was one step closer when given the chance to train with the Bulldogs top 30.
From there, his world changed for the better.
“There was an opposed session against the NRL squad which wasn’t supposed to happen,” Manu told the Daily Telegraph.
“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.”
His journey to the big stage hasn’t been easy, with injuries, his family in New Zealand and living in a single bed at the panel beaters where he worked pushing the 24-year old near breaking point.
“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.”
Read the full story in the Daily Telegraph.
