League: Utai plays final despite tsunami tragedy

Matt Utai. Photo / Getty Images

A grieving Matt Utai looked his Bankstown City league coach Terry Lamb in the eye and said "I'm going to play".

Just days after losing his 84-year-old grandmother Taua'avaga Tupuola in the Samoa tsunami, the former Kiwis winger inspired his team to a 32-0 win over Balmain Ryde-Eastwood in the New South Wales Cup grand final at ANZ Stadium yesterday.

The Bankstown players wore black armbands as a mark of respect after Utai insisted he didn't want to sit out his final match on Australian soil before departing for England.

"I didn't speak to him at all about it. He came up to me and said 'I'm going to play'," Lamb said.

"He wanted to keep his mind on other things. He can't do anything over there at this stage but he's going over there soon.

"Mentally he's unbelievable. His first half was unbelievable the way he took the ball forward."

Utai politely declined to speak afterwards as he walked off clutching the cup after the team's lap of honour in the NRL grand final curtainraiser.

He departs for Samoa on Tuesday as his family prepare to bring their matriarch's body home.

She was visiting family at the isolated southern Samoan beach of Aganoa when she died, having surprised family with her first visit to her homeland since emigrating to New Zealand more than 30 years ago.

Utai's manager Mark Rowan said he was "very emotional" on hearing the news and was very close to his grandmother.

Auckland-born Utai, 28, played four tests for the Kiwis between 2002-05 and made his NRL debut for the Bulldogs back in 2002.

He played for the NRL side this year but dropped down to their feeder club Bankstown after an injury-plagued 2008 season.

Today's was his final match on Australian soil as he continues negotiations with several English clubs.

"He's got to get over what happened last week first so we'll see what happens," Lamb said.

"He's great, he's fantastic. I've known him since he's been at the club, over 10 years. He's a very strong man, strong willed, and he's a good friend."

The Bankstown side were touched by more sadness, with today's hat-trick hero Ben Barba's brother recently revealed to be suffering from cancer.

- NZPA