League: Survivor of a rapid rise to the big time

Thomas Leuluai was man of the match in Wigan's grand final victory. Photo / Getty Images

A poster child for the plight of Kiwi playmakers exposed to the big time too early, Thomas Leuluai has found glory, renown and plenty of respect with the Kiwis and Wigan. But has he found contentment? It's hard to say.

The second-youngest Kiwi behind Dennis Williams when he debuted in a 30-16 victory over Australia as an 18-year-old, Leuluai was thrown into league's swirling deep end early. Very early. Almost certainly, too early.

"A young pup man," is how he remembers himself during the 2003 and 2004 Warriors seasons when was feted as the next big thing in league little men. If not quite the next Stacey Jones, Leuluai was at least expected to be an able lieutenant to the Little General.

"I started when I was 17," he says. "Yeah I was young man. Maybe too young I reckon. I really got chucked in the deep end."

In a country that churns out quality forwards and outside backs like Japan does cheap cars but unearths star halves at the rate of about one a generation (the starting Kiwis halves in his test debut were Sione Faumuina and Willie Talau), Leuluai was always going to be on a rapid career curve.

"I remember Tommy coming through the grades and he was only a skinny little fella like myself back then," recalls Lance Hohaia, who along with Leuluai is the most capped Kiwi in the current squad with 25. "But he had all the skills to be an NRL player."

Skills, yes, but not the overall game. Not back then. After two seasons in which he made 26 appearances, Leuluai left the Warriors to take up a contract with Harlequins.

His NRL dream had been but a brief reality.

"I think about it now, having learned what I've learned, I'd definitely say it was too young," he says.

"But I've got to be grateful for that too. That is just the way the cookie crumbles. I can't sit here and say 'oh I was too young and inexperienced'. That's the way you've got to learn. Those mistakes and errors I made back then, I've learned from them." Six years, 133 Super League games, a World Cup victory, a Super League title and the renowned Harry Sunderland trophy to his name for his man-of-match effort in Wigan's grand final victory over St Helens this season, you'd think Leuluai had conquered any demons that remained from his Warriors days.

Maybe he has. Maybe he never had any. It's hard to tell. Given the way his career has panned out he has every right to be ecstatic. But that's not the word you'd use to describe his demeanour when we talk the morning after last weekend's victory over Papua New Guinea. Subdued would be more appropriate.

"That was just luck," he says of the Harry Sunderland medal. "If you watch that game everyone played well. You put your name in a hat and they pull one out, so I was lucky to get that award."

Still just 25 but with seven years in the big time under his belt, surely he must be nearing his peak?

"I wouldn't say I'm at my peak, no. I'm still learning. I've had a pretty good coach in Michael Maguire. I'm lucky that I've had someone like that come along in my career. He is very smart, knows the game. He's taught me a lot and I'm grateful for that."

Macguire, the former Storm assistant alongside Stephen Kearney, is equally effusive in his praise of Leuluai.

"He is the type of player who makes my job very easy," Maguire said after the Super League grand final victory.

In an era when halves and hookers have become increasingly interchangeable, Leuluai has mastered the mid-game switch as well as anybody. At Wigan he often starts at halfback before shifting into hooker to make way for Paul Deacon, while for the Kiwis he starts at hooker and can then slot into the halves. "I wouldn't say I've mastered it," he says. "Obviously if you do something over a period of time you get used to it.

"A lot of it is pretty similar but when you go to hooker you don't have as much energy to talk as much as you'd like. You put your head down and work. And when you go to seven you've got to talk and control the team."

Given his age and stature in the game, Leuluai would appear a strong candidate for a second shot at the NRL. He has two more years on his Wigan contract and isn't ruling anything out, but neither is he obsessed with proving himself back in the NRL. "I dunno man. If the opportunity came up I'd look at it. But I'm not searching for a club, put it that way. I'm quite happy at Wigan.

"I wouldn't say I'm loving the lifestyle in the cold and rain. There is definitely nothing that beats the weather in New Zealand and Australia. But that is the way the cookie has crumbled for me. I'm dealing with it. It is not something that I dwell on, like 'man I want to make the NRL'. If I have to play my career [in England] I'll play there. Wigan is a great club at the moment. It is not something I want to jump out of."

Thomas Leuluai

Born: Auckland
Age: 25
Height: 1.76m
Weight: 85kg
Position: Halfback, hooker
Clubs: NZ Warriors, Harlequins, Wigan Warriors
Kiwis: 25 tests