KEY POINTS:
Ruben Wiki still remembers the words of the coach who handed him his National Rugby League debut 15 years ago.
"Tim Sheens gave me some advice back in the Canberra days - `You're not a first-grader until you've played 50 games'," Wiki recalled.
"It's been great advice and I've just wanted to get better with every game."
Wiki has more than earned his first-grade spurs since then and will reach a major milestone when he runs out for the New Zealand Warriors against the Wests Tigers in Sydney on Sunday.
It will be the centre-cum-prop's 300th NRL appearance, making him just the 10th player, and the first New Zealander, to achieve the feat in the competition's 100-year history.
By a quirk of coincidence, the opposition coach at Leichhardt Oval will be none other than Sheens.
"It's been a long road, brother," Wiki told NZPA.
"I'm really stoked. To come from south Auckland and achieve a milestone like this is huge. It's a big number and I'm really honoured. Not many people get to do it."
The record holder for first-grade appearances is Terry Lamb, with 349 for Western Suburbs and Canterbury between 1980 and 1996.
Among current players, Wiki is second behind Manly's Steve Menzies, who clocked up game No 335 in the Sea Eagles 20-14 win over the Warriors last Sunday.
The next New Zealander after Wiki on the all-time list is Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney, with 264 for Wests, the Warriors and Melbourne from 1992 to 2004.
Wiki's debut came on June 13, 1993, when he came off the bench as Canberra humbled South Sydney 41-6 at Bruce (now Canberra) Stadium.
He marked his entrance with a try off a pass from his idol, present Queensland coach Mal Meninga.
A year later, he was a title winner with the Raiders, who saw off minor premiers Canterbury in the grand final.
While Canberra made regular appearances in the playoffs in the 12 seasons Wiki spent with them, 1994 was to provide him with his only premiership ring.
Not surprisingly, he rated the grand final triumph as the biggest highlight of his club career so far.
There have been low moments as well, including regular summonses to front the judiciary, mostly for high tackles, which he blamed on poor technique.
In all he has sat out 23 weeks, almost a whole season, but there were no hard feelings.
He joked that, were it not for his bans, he would be running close to Menzies, who made his debut in the same month.
After 225 games for the Raiders, Wiki transferred to the Warriors before the 2005 season.
The move was ironic, given that he was meant to join the new Auckland-based franchise in 1995, but was allowed to stay in Canberra after a bitter tug-of-war between the clubs.
A shy youngster when he began his career, Wiki has developed to leader status.
He skippered the Kiwis in 18 of his world record 55 tests before his international retirement at the end of 2006, and he is vice-captain at the Warriors.
In his first season at Mt Smart Stadium, he was named the club's player of the year.
While he began 2008 needing just 12 more appearances to reach the magical 300, it looked last month that he might fall agonising short.
After a dip in form and an injury break, there was media speculation, which he denied, that he was wanting an early release from his contact, which expires in October.
He was also demoted to playing for feeder club the Auckland Vulcans for a week, something he took in good grace.
"It kept me on my toes and gave me my hunger back," he said.
He came straight back into first grade and has stayed there since.
At 35, Wiki is the oldest player in this season's NRL.
He credited his longevity to having a good balance off the field, and the friends he had outside league "help to keep me out of the clouds".
While he is due to finish with Warriors this year, he indicated that his playing days wouldn't necessarily be over just yet.
"A lot of doors are open, so I'll still be hanging around somewhere," he said.
"There's opportunities in England. It depends on me at the end of the year."
RUBEN WIKI
Born: Auckland
Age: 35
Height: 1.86m
Weight: 103kg
NRL appearances: 299 (225 for Canberra, 1993-2004; 74 for Warriors, from 2005)
NRL points: 288 from 72 tries (60 for Canberra, 12 for Warriors)
NRL debut: Canberra v South Sydney, Bruce Stadium, June 13, 1993.
Warriors debut: v Manly, Mt Smart Stadium, March 13, 2005.
Kiwi caps: 55 (world record), 1994-2006.
- NZPA
