Eels Blogs

When Parramatta rookie Manu Ma'u was named to play in the Eels top grade squad at the beginning of the season he promised to give his all for what he called his ''chance'' – and statistics revealed that after 10 games the 25-year-old has lived up to his word.

Sportsdata statistics show that Ma'u, who discovered his footballing talents in the New Zealand penal system by playing a brutal game called ''crash'' on the prison's concreted parade ground, was second only to his inspirational co-captain Tim Mannah in making the hard yards for the Brad Arthur-coached line-up.

Mannah, a former Origin prop, has averaged 121 metres per game this season while Ma'u was snapping on his heels with 110 metres – and he planned to increase that figure by the end of Friday night's compelling match when the fourth-placed Eels take on the neighbouring Penrith Panthers, who are third on the premiership ladder.

"I said if they gave me a jumper I'd wear it with pride," Ma'u said of the outstanding start of his NRL career. "Parramatta showed faith in me and I want to live up to that.

"The guys here are a great group and whenever I put on the Parramatta jersey I just want to give them my all. Everyone in the team has that 'give our all' feeling, it's very positive here."

Ma'u was adamant that not only would Parramatta continue to grow as a unit as the season progressed but that he would only improve with more experience and greater opportunity.

"Definitely, 100 per cent," Ma'u said. "This is our first year of rebuilding, we're all working hard and doing what we can to help the team."

Ma'u has come a long way since he served time for his role in a brawl while a member of an Auckland gang. It was in prison where his league ''beast'' was unleashed in ''crash'' – a frenzied prison version of the children's game bull-rush. Ma'u recalled how the prisoners would line up and pummel an opponent when they ran the gauntlet and into them.

''Crash is crazy but it's a prison environment and you have to man up,'' he said before making his top grade debut. ''You get hurt, there was head highs and knees, but you never show it.''

His manager and former New Zealand international Tyran Smith said it had excited him to think Ma'u had quickly grasped that consistency was crucial in the NRL.

''Manu has exceeded all expectations,'' Smith said on Wednesday. ''He has been so consistent in his performance and in his training.

''I knew he could do well, but I'm so happy, and a bit surprised, that he has been able to play with a consistency and quality [as a first grade rookie] because not many players do.

''I knew he could play football, I knew he was dedicated and had a desire to achieve, but there is so much that comes into it – such as how your body handles a tough pre-season and the day-in, day-out stresses a first grader's body is exposed to.''