League: Rauhihi set to play in tri-nations final

In 1994 Kiwis prop Paul Rauhihi was perfectly happy with his career as a radio fitter in the New Zealand Navy.

If the Auckland Warriors hadn't come into being the following year, it's doubtful he would have ever thought to try his luck as a professional rugby league player.

But a conversation with Frank Endacott convinced him he should at least try to make the most of his sporting talents.

Eleven years later, three days out from the biggest match of his career, the 32-year-old Rauhihi is sprawled languidly in a leather chair in a Leeds hotel lobby, his left leg swathed from top to bottom in bandages, masking the double cork he suffered against Great Britain two weeks ago.

"I was pretty happy in the Navy," he says.

"The footy was the only reason I left."

It may have taken him four years to crack the National Rugby League (NRL) after several fruitless seasons in the Warriors' reserve grade, he eventually debuted in 1999 for Melbourne Storm but he has never had cause to regret his decision.

"The opportunity came up to go fulltime with the Warriors and I saw it as a pretty good chance to have a real dig at it.

"I had just started a family then too but my partner was real supportive and I had the belief that if I got stuck right into it then I could make it. I was probably pretty lucky that I did get a chance to go to Australia and once I got there things took off."

This year, "things" have hit the stratosphere; his appearance in Sunday morning's (NZ time) Tri-Nations final -- "the physio thinks I'm going to be all right but it is a day-to-day thing" -- coming hard on the heals of his first NRL grand final.

Things may not have come quickly to Rauhihi, but they have come.

"I was never really one of the most skilful players, I just had to work hard and be persistent," he said.

"I think that has paid off now. I am pretty happy but either way I'd be happy. I'd probably still be in the navy if I didn't take a shot at this.

"It was a good career but I'm pretty happy with how things have worked out. I've played for my country and been lucky enough to captain the side once. I've captained the Cowboys and I had a pretty big role there for three years.

"I challenged myself a bit and I'm happy with how it went. It helped me build a bit of character."

The Kiwis will need to carve a slice of history to upset the Kangaroos on Sunday but Rauhihi insists they aren't daunted by the size of the task.

"We have broken a few records this year. We hadn't beaten Australia for 40-odd years in Sydney and we broke that record. But we don't really look at the records as an indication of how things are going to go. We know we have got the team to break those records.

"We have still got the belief; it is just a matter of getting the right execution. We know what we have to do on the field, it is just a matter of doing it properly."

The team maybe battered and bruised after six games in as many weeks, but Rauhihi insisted the Kiwis could lift themselves for one last challenge.

"It helps that we are in the final, it gives you a boost. Mentally you are more refreshed knowing you have just got one more game to go. It is such a big game that one more week of sacrifice could all be worth it."

Meanwhile, Stacey Jones was expected to fly out of Auckland today to rejoin the team for the final.

He returned home this week to be with his wife Rachelle, who was expecting to give birth to their third child.

Kiwis coach Brian McClennan confirmed Jones had once again accepted the call to play for his country.

"That really shows how important the Kiwis jersey and his teammates are to Stacey," he said.

"I can't say enough good things about him. He really has shown his dedication and commitment."

Jones came out of retirement to play for the Kiwis in the opening two games of the series against Australia before joining his French Super League club Les Catalans.

Since the opening leg of the Tri-Nations, Kiwis management have either declined to confirm Jones' availability, or have ruled him out only for Jones to subsequently appear in two tests against Great Britain and last week's test against France.

- NZPA