If the Kiwis win at Suncorp Stadium it will be Leuluai's fifth career victory over the Kangaroos. Photo / News Ltd.
If the Kiwis win at Suncorp Stadium it will be Leuluai's fifth career victory over the Kangaroos. Photo / News Ltd.
Long-time Kiwi’s toughness and will to win put him just a game away from equalling Stacey Jones’ record against the Kangaroos.
Thomas Leuluai could carve his name in New Zealand league history tomorrow night, matching a feat so far achieved only by Stacey Jones.
If the Kiwis win at Suncorp Stadium it will be Leuluai's fifth career victory over the Kangaroos.
It would be a noteworthy mark, as transtasman triumphs are rare in league - it takes a lot to knock over the Australian machine - and always special.
The Kiwis enjoyed only three victories over the Kangaroos in the 1980s, five in the 1990s and just four in the 2000s. Before last year's Four Nations tournament New Zealand hadn't performed a victory haka for four years.
At an individual level, the incomparable Jones in the only player of the modern era to be on a winning Kiwis team five times.
"That's a pretty cool stat," said Leuluai. "But you can't compare me to Stacey. He was a legend. I've done my bit for the team and been lucky to be on some really good teams.
"I also know that sometimes I was only picked because of injuries or someone was unavailable."
Leuluai's modesty is not false, but does sum up how humble the 29-year-old is. He's not a flashy footballer but he epitomises the kind of grit needed in test matches.
He still lacks profile in New Zealand, probably because of his extended spell in England, but not with those who matter.
Since his Kiwis debut as a teenager in 2003 national coaches have usually found room for him. Indeed, for a period in the 2000s he was the only player picked from Super League.
He's one of the best one-on-one defenders in the sport, with a tackling technique that should be taught in every coaching manual. Leuluai is also a dangerous runner from close range and his short kicking and passing game can be highly effective.
Kiwi Kieran Foran during training in Brisbane yesterday. Photo / News Ltd.
But his main strengths are more intangible: a huge will to win and a toughness that can't be taught.
Leuluai came to prominence in 2003, as a surprise selection for the end-of-year test. Jones and Lance Hohaia were ruled out and the selectors turned to the 18-year-old son of 1980s legend James Leuluai.
"It was probably too soon but you just had to get through it," said Leuluai. "The match was a blur but we played well - [Clinton] Toopi was amazing. I was a bit surprised by how well it went."
Others, including Jones, were not.
"I remember him as a scrawny kid when he first came to the Warriors," said Jones. "He probably weighed only 65 kilos but nothing ever fazed him. His attitude stood out - he didn't want to be second-best to anyone - and he grasped from a young age what it meant to be a professional player."
Leuluai departed for England in 2004, not returning to the NRL until 2013. But his test career has had many highlights, including the 2008 World Cup final.
"That was a great campaign," said Leuluai. "We built throughout the tournament and by the final really believed we could do it. That was the platform for everything since, I believe."
For the 2010 Four Nations final Leuluai was again given the No9 jersey - ahead of Issac Luke - and played a vital part in a memorable 16-12 victory.
Leuluai has straddled several generations of Kiwis - from Jones, Nigel Vagana and Ruben Wiki to Shaun Johnson, Jason Taumalolo and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - but remains an important cog. He was one of the most consistent players in last year's campaign, missing out on a spot in the final only because of injury.
"He's a tough character and he expects the best of the players around him," said Jones. "He brings a lot to the Kiwis environment and is the kind of guy that will play through the pain barrier."
Chasing Stacey
2003, Albany Stadium, 30-16 An 18-year-old Leuluai was a surprise inclusion, after Stacey Jones and Lance Hohaia were ruled out. The teenager featured strongly as the Kiwis, fired by a Clinton Toopi hat trick, overcame a second-half deficit to win.
2008, Brisbane, 34-20 Leuluai started as hooker in the World Cup final, where the Kiwis scored one of the biggest upsets of the modern era. They comprehensively defeated a Kangaroos team that included Jonathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer.
2010, Brisbane, 16-12 Jason Nightingale and Nathan Fien crossed for late tries in a memorable finish. Leuluai was again preferred in the No9 jersey.
2014, Brisbane, 30-12 Maybe the start of a new Kiwis era, as Jason Taumalolo and Shaun Johnson shone for New Zealand. Leuluai performed well in place of the injured Issac Luke.
Keeping up with the Joneses Stacey Jones is the only New Zealander to record five victories over the Kangaroos in the modern era: 1997, 30-12 (Albany) 1998, 22-16 (Albany) 1999, 24-22 (Mt Smart) 2005, 38-28 (Sydney) 2005, 24-0 (Leeds)
