When Kelma Tuilagi first left his remote farm in Samoa, rugby league – and the English language – were foreign to him.
Tualagi’s parents swapped a tiny plantation of bananas, taro and a few cows for life in New Zealand, in the belief the move would provide young Kelma and his sisters greater opportunities. It was a lot to adjust to.
“I didn’t go to school in New Zealand for a year and a bit. I had to get all my papers to be a citizen so I could go to school, and when I had a chance to go to school [in year five] I picked up the language.
“The unique way I picked up English, I struggled with it in classes, but picked it up from the people I hung around with, from my friends … I was fully struggling. I’m still learning on the way.”
Rugby union was the dominant sport in Samoa and New Zealand at the time, and that’s all Tualagi knew. But he gave rugby league a crack and, after just half a season, was playing at a standard that piqued the interest of the Melbourne Storm.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.475%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_38%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/33b8d5f6b99b051bfa19dea883e14803c61ba1db 2x" alt="Kelma Tuilagi was in fine form against the Broncos." />After six years in New Zealand, it meant another move for the Tualagi family, who followed the budding footballer to Victoria. It is there the back-rower met Parramatta coach Jason Ryles, then an assistant to Craig Bellamy, on a journey that has subsequently led to NRL stints at Wests Tigers, Manly and now the Eels.
“He knew me back then, but I’ve developed over time,” Tualagi said. “He will remember me as one of the young ones at the Storm. Seeing me now, it’s a different look. But having that connection when I was young definitely helps.”
Tualagi has literally and figuratively come a long way since leaving that remote Samoan village. The 27-year-old has represented Samoa at Test level, made 74 NRL appearances and is in rare form after his barnstorming two-try haul against the vaunted Broncos pack last week.
It’s a journey he reflects on ahead of Sunday’s multicultural round clash with St George Illawarra at CommBank Stadium.
“We pretty much live off the land and that’s all we needed. It was a simple life,” Tuilagi said of life in Samoa
“When we moved over, my parents wanted us to have a better life and explore what’s out there. It’s pretty hectic to see how it’s different from living on the island. To come over and have an opportunity in the big world, it made me look at the big picture and what’s ahead for me.
“Now I’m married, if I have kids I’ll tell them where I’m from and embrace my culture.”
Ryles wants his pack to play an up-tempo brand of football, which requires its members to have the fitness required to execute the game plan. In Tuilagi’s case, that meant dropping six kilograms, down to 106 kilograms, during the off-season.
“That definitely helped me run around with the new rules that are going on,” Tuilagi said.
“That’s the style Ryles wants, to be mobile and fast in the middle. Having that helped us out.”
Tuilagi sports an unmistakable headgear on the field, but it was missing for his heroics against the premiers after it broke early. It revealed a flowing mane as the journeyman forward, a qualified barber, ran riot.
“A lot of people have been saying to get rid of the headgear, but ... I love wearing it,” he said.
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