Q&A: 'Playing the Warriors is the biggest game of the year'

Tohu Harris will line up for Melbourne against the Warriors on Monday. Photo / Shane Wenzlick / Photosport.co.nz

Kiwi test utility Tohu Harris lines up for Melbourne against the Warriors on Monday in a career going from strength to strength under famed Storm coach Craig Bellamy.

In July, the Hastings-raised Harris, aged 23, will have the chance to play in front of family and friends on home territory when the Storm face the Dragons at McLean Park in Napier.

The big forward - who played at five-eighth in last year's Anzac test - chats about his career, including the cruel hand dealt to him in the 2013 World Cup selection controversy.

The Storm were pipped at the post last week by Johnathan Thurston's late kicks in Townsville - do you like the golden point concept?
Fatigue-wise no but I'd rather there is a winner than having draws. During the regular season, golden point is the closest thing to finals and you always enjoy playing in those situations although it's not fun when the result goes against you. Everyone's competitive spirit lifts in golden point and I enjoy it. Opinions will vary from player to player though.

The NRL wants the rucks to be quicker - has the game got faster?
There has been a huge step up since 2013. The game has got lightening quick ... you have to train for that, although it is difficult to imitate that speed. I think it has become more entertaining for the fans.

There's also talk of a reduced interchange...
That would be good for the game. It would help the halves and the explosive little guys because of the fatigue factor.

Kiwis have played a significant part in the Storm's history...
I'm not sure where that comes from. We all know it has been there from the beginning and there are also a lot of New Zealanders here in Melbourne, which probably makes playing the Warriors the biggest game of the year. We get a packed house and both teams are supported strongly. It's a great atmosphere and we always know the Warriors turn up no matter where the teams are on the ladder.

How did the Storm discover you?
They hold a two-day scholarship camp in Wellington every year and I was at the very first one. There are training drills the first day and three games the second day. I was lucky enough to get one of the two scholarships they hand out.

Who got the other one?
[All Blacks and Hurricanes halfback] TJ Perenara ... he came over for a week-long training camp with all the scholarship boys but he obviously had a lot of opportunities in union and chose to stick with that. He's reaped the rewards.

Was it an easy decision for you?
I was 17, close to 18, and the only hard part was moving away from my family for the first time. But Melbourne is a great city and I got used to it very quickly.

If you weren't a professional footballer...
I didn't have anything else set in stone. I had a few interests ... I was thinking about university but I hadn't even decided what I would study. At that age ... I couldn't stick to one thing.

Did you have a childhood hero?
I watched a lot of rugby as a kid ... Christian Cullen.

What is Craig Bellamy's secret to his longstanding success?
The thing he preaches a lot is working hard on doing all the little things, don't take short cuts. Taking short cuts makes things harder on your teammates.

The Big Three - Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk - apparently lead the way with that attitude.
They've spent their whole careers trying to get better and they don't consider themselves too big to do anything. They will still do all the little things so others don't have to do it for them, on and off the field. You'll always see them carrying around the team gear, getting people's bags off the bus ... it makes you want to do that little bit extra.

How hurt were you by the Kiwi coach Steve Kearney's decision to drop you from the 2013 World Cup squad when Sonny Bill Williams did a backflip?
I was disappointed - I was really looking forward to the World Cup. But we couldn't do anything about it - all we could do was look forward to positive things as the way to deal with it. I was set to get married (to Natalie) in January and we focused on that and what we needed to do beforehand.

You acted with a lot of dignity...
Natalie gave me great support. Steve Kearney rang me constantly around that time, making sure things were okay.

The Kiwis won the Four Nations last year, but can they break the Anzac test hoodoo?
It has given us confidence but Australia are still No1. That doesn't change because we won one tournament - they are still the official world champions. You can't suddenly take that away from them ... we need to be consistent from year to year.