Rugby League: Lavea storms into the big league

By PETER JESSUP

Fewer than 50 games of rugby league and already a Kiwi.

Tasesa Lavea - named in the Kiwi test squad this week - could have been a star at cricket or rugby, showing early promise to earn representative honours in both sports when at school in Auckland, but it was the smart scouts from the Melbourne Storm rugby league club who got his signature.

Lavea, aged 20, and his similarly talented twin brother, Tai, were signed without ever having played league, but 18 months later Tasesa is a regular starter in the NRL, the Storm's first-choice kicker and a sure bet to get a run at the end-of-year World Cup, even if he is unlikely to be in the Kiwi Anzac test team.

"I got Steve Kearney's autograph when I was 15," Lavea said. "He was the only league player whose name I knew. It's pretty amazing being in the same team he is at the Storm, let alone the Kiwis."

Pakeha mum Roseanne and Samoan dad Lei were filled with pride when he rang to tell them of his selection, he said.

"It's good to be able to put something back into the family, because they've done so much for me."

The Laveas came from Otara, Tasesa going first to Papatoetoe High School then to St Kentigern College once his prodigious sporting ability began to shine.

He made the Junior All Blacks and was spotted by Storm talent scouts at a representative rugby tournament. Within weeks they had signed him.

Keeping his decision away from rugby and other league clubs was the fact that the Melbourne outfit offered to look after his family, signed Tai as a fullback, moved the Laveas to Brisbane and sent youngest son Manu to board at Mudgee College.

Both brothers played last season for Brisbane Norths, where Queensland State of Origin coach Mark Murray taught them the game. This year Kangaroo coach Chris Anderson has had a big hand.

Lavea said: "He's shown a lot of faith in me, taught me how to handle the pressure."

Anderson expressed surprise that Lavea had been named in the Kiwi squad, saying his charge was too inexperienced.

Lavea himself was unconcerned, looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere in camp in Sydney next week and totally confident in his ability to produce the goods at the World Cup if selected.

He has no regrets about leaving rugby behind. He was behind Orene Ai'i in the running for Auckland, and so is happy to have made premiership level in his new code rather than wonder whether he would have made it in the old one.

"League is more physical - there's nowhere you can hide in the defensive line, there are big forwards running at you all day."

At 186cm and 84kg, he is one of the smaller men in the Storm squad but enjoys the heavier defensive load and the opportunity to run one side of the field.

Tai has been sidelined for two months with a hamstring injury, but Tasesa believes his brother will make the Storm starting lineup soon.

He aims to improve his goal-kicking - running at around 80 per cent accuracy but still prone to the odd muff like the one in front of the Broncos' posts last weekend - and to cement his place at standoff as his predecessor, Scott Hill, makes himself at home at lock.

"Consistency is the thing, and it's hard to achieve that week-in, week-out when the game is so hard, you're getting knocked around every week," Lavea said. "But I'm enjoying it, on and off the field."