Defender1
Matthew Johns
That'll do us! :Knights:
Dane Gagai Re-Signs with Knights until 2017
- Thread starter rhugh89
- Start date
rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Newcastle Knights rising star Sione Mata’utia to let mum decide his long-term playing future
TEENAGE sensation Sione Mata’utia says the motivation and inspiration behind his remarkable rise to Test football — his mum Matalena — will have the final say in his long-term playing future and the future of his brothers Chanel and Pat.
And in a stunning admission which underlines the level of respect he has for his more experienced teammates at the Newcastle Knights, Australia’s youngest ever Kangaroo expects to start next season in either NSW Cup or Holden Cup because he claims his Test selection has “guaranteed me nothing” at club level.
In his first major interview since debuting for the Kangaroos in the Four Nations tournament, the humble kid Wayne Bennett hailed as a future Knights captain and great of the game before he had even played NRL, opened up exclusively to The Daily Telegraph about playing for his country, his love for his family, the Newcastle Knights and why what is best for his mum will ultimately determine his long-term future.
THE DREAM
Sione still finds the feeling of being selected for Australia and becoming this country’s youngest Test player hard to put into words.
“It’s all happened so fast.Getting some games in the Four Nations was awesome,” he said.
“I don’t know what to say about it — how to express it. I’m just truly honoured, truly blessed from above.
“All I try to do is make my mum proud and I guess she was and that makes me happy.
“Just to rub shoulders with those senior players.
“Six months ago, I’m watching them on television and supporting them and the next thing I know, I’m in the same room playing cards with them.
“I know why all the veteran players hold onto that kind of stuff. You just get addicted to it.
“Coming away from camp, I just want more of it now but I’m not getting too far ahead of myself.”
THE EXPERIENCE
Sione said he initially felt “scared” to be in the company of the game’s elite players but playing cards and table tennis with his idols helped break the ice.
“Josh Papalii was great.
“He sort of took me under his wing and Cameron Smith and GI (Greg Inglis) were others but I guess the whole camp was a really tight-knit group,” he said.
“All the boys played cards. Greg Bird’s probably one of the funniest and Beau Scott.
“We played in partners and “Birdman” wasn’t too happy with me because I had no clue and struggled at the start so I had to get good fast.”
FAMILY
Nothing is more important to Sione, who has a twin sister Sylvia, older sisters Jana and Josephine and three older footballing brothers Peter, Chanel and Pat.
He says his mum Matalena is his inspiration, raising seven kids on her own after separating from Sione’s father and moving the family to Newcastle in 2000.
“We didn’t have a whole lot growing up but we had each other and that’s why we are all so close now,” Sione said.
“My father passed away last year of heart disease.
“I wasn’t as close to him as my older brothers and sisters and it hit them pretty hard but I always knew that he was my father and it was a sad loss for the whole family.
“Mum took care of us and had a really hard time of it working three jobs back then. I’m truly thankful for what she did.
“She was doing it tough back then, dropping us off to training with one car — four boys who had different training times at different grounds.
“I don’t know how she did it but she did and I guess that’s where we get our motivation to train hard and play hard and be good at what we do because it’s an opportunity for us to pay back our mum now.
“We can now let her rest up and have some time to herself.
“Give her good things and let her celebrate her life a little bit.”
NO GUARANTEES
Despite making his Test debut, Sione says he is not expecting to start next season with the Knights in the top grade.
“It’s good to go on an Aussie tour and be recognised but coming back here, you’ve got plenty of players who still have the drive to get a spot in the first grade team,” he said.
“So it brings the best out of everyone.
“It brings the best out of me too and it’s why I came back to training two weeks early.
“I didn’t want to fall behind.
“I’ll probably play a little bit of NSW Cup or Under 20s.
“As weird as it sounds an Aussie Kangaroo player playing 20s, that’s how we are here.
“Just because you are an Aussie player, doesn’t mean you get a spot straight away.”
THE FUTURE
Despite signing a letter of intent that could see them join the Bulldogs on a four years deal from 2016, Sione says he and brothers Chanel and Pat remain keen to stay at the Knights long term.
But when it comes to a final decision, mum’s the word.
“There are some obstacles in the way but we want to get it sorted out as soon as possible,” he said.
“We all want it to be here (Newcastle) but if it takes us elsewhere, it takes us elsewhere.
“It will come down to what suits my mum best.
“She will have a talk to the club and let them know what she thinks and if she is happy with that, we’ll take it.
“To be honest, wherever we go, footy is always going to be there.
“We just have to take care of our mum first because she is our number one priority.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...m-playing-future/story-fnp0lyn3-1227165380318
- BARRY TOOHEY
- THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
- DECEMBER 24, 2014 12:00AM
TEENAGE sensation Sione Mata’utia says the motivation and inspiration behind his remarkable rise to Test football — his mum Matalena — will have the final say in his long-term playing future and the future of his brothers Chanel and Pat.
And in a stunning admission which underlines the level of respect he has for his more experienced teammates at the Newcastle Knights, Australia’s youngest ever Kangaroo expects to start next season in either NSW Cup or Holden Cup because he claims his Test selection has “guaranteed me nothing” at club level.
In his first major interview since debuting for the Kangaroos in the Four Nations tournament, the humble kid Wayne Bennett hailed as a future Knights captain and great of the game before he had even played NRL, opened up exclusively to The Daily Telegraph about playing for his country, his love for his family, the Newcastle Knights and why what is best for his mum will ultimately determine his long-term future.
THE DREAM
Sione still finds the feeling of being selected for Australia and becoming this country’s youngest Test player hard to put into words.
“It’s all happened so fast.Getting some games in the Four Nations was awesome,” he said.
“I don’t know what to say about it — how to express it. I’m just truly honoured, truly blessed from above.
“All I try to do is make my mum proud and I guess she was and that makes me happy.
“Just to rub shoulders with those senior players.
“Six months ago, I’m watching them on television and supporting them and the next thing I know, I’m in the same room playing cards with them.
“I know why all the veteran players hold onto that kind of stuff. You just get addicted to it.
“Coming away from camp, I just want more of it now but I’m not getting too far ahead of myself.”
THE EXPERIENCE
Sione said he initially felt “scared” to be in the company of the game’s elite players but playing cards and table tennis with his idols helped break the ice.
“Josh Papalii was great.
“He sort of took me under his wing and Cameron Smith and GI (Greg Inglis) were others but I guess the whole camp was a really tight-knit group,” he said.
“All the boys played cards. Greg Bird’s probably one of the funniest and Beau Scott.
“We played in partners and “Birdman” wasn’t too happy with me because I had no clue and struggled at the start so I had to get good fast.”
FAMILY
Nothing is more important to Sione, who has a twin sister Sylvia, older sisters Jana and Josephine and three older footballing brothers Peter, Chanel and Pat.
He says his mum Matalena is his inspiration, raising seven kids on her own after separating from Sione’s father and moving the family to Newcastle in 2000.
“We didn’t have a whole lot growing up but we had each other and that’s why we are all so close now,” Sione said.
“My father passed away last year of heart disease.
“I wasn’t as close to him as my older brothers and sisters and it hit them pretty hard but I always knew that he was my father and it was a sad loss for the whole family.
“Mum took care of us and had a really hard time of it working three jobs back then. I’m truly thankful for what she did.
“She was doing it tough back then, dropping us off to training with one car — four boys who had different training times at different grounds.
“I don’t know how she did it but she did and I guess that’s where we get our motivation to train hard and play hard and be good at what we do because it’s an opportunity for us to pay back our mum now.
“We can now let her rest up and have some time to herself.
“Give her good things and let her celebrate her life a little bit.”
NO GUARANTEES
Despite making his Test debut, Sione says he is not expecting to start next season with the Knights in the top grade.
“It’s good to go on an Aussie tour and be recognised but coming back here, you’ve got plenty of players who still have the drive to get a spot in the first grade team,” he said.
“So it brings the best out of everyone.
“It brings the best out of me too and it’s why I came back to training two weeks early.
“I didn’t want to fall behind.
“I’ll probably play a little bit of NSW Cup or Under 20s.
“As weird as it sounds an Aussie Kangaroo player playing 20s, that’s how we are here.
“Just because you are an Aussie player, doesn’t mean you get a spot straight away.”
THE FUTURE
Despite signing a letter of intent that could see them join the Bulldogs on a four years deal from 2016, Sione says he and brothers Chanel and Pat remain keen to stay at the Knights long term.
But when it comes to a final decision, mum’s the word.
“There are some obstacles in the way but we want to get it sorted out as soon as possible,” he said.
“We all want it to be here (Newcastle) but if it takes us elsewhere, it takes us elsewhere.
“It will come down to what suits my mum best.
“She will have a talk to the club and let them know what she thinks and if she is happy with that, we’ll take it.
“To be honest, wherever we go, footy is always going to be there.
“We just have to take care of our mum first because she is our number one priority.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...m-playing-future/story-fnp0lyn3-1227165380318
I can't see their Mum wanting them to move away from Newcastle when she's here, so that's good news!
Kenny Powers
Banned
It leaves me with an uneasy feeling that the dialog has shifted, along with the responsibility of making a decision, from the boys to their mum. It's as though they can see that leaving the Knights is becoming more and more likely, and so they have shifted the weight to a party who can hold no blame, their mum
And what obstacles? Surely the boys are not being totally unreasonable in their asking otherwise the Bulldogs wouldn't have been able to afford them. So what could possibly be obstructing a deal? Apart from Gidleys amateurism, of course.
Manly, the Roosters and any other smart team would have placed an AMG C63 with a bow tied around it in the mothers drive way and as a gift to kick off negotiations
And what obstacles? Surely the boys are not being totally unreasonable in their asking otherwise the Bulldogs wouldn't have been able to afford them. So what could possibly be obstructing a deal? Apart from Gidleys amateurism, of course.
Manly, the Roosters and any other smart team would have placed an AMG C63 with a bow tied around it in the mothers drive way and as a gift to kick off negotiations
Junior11
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
They currently have no manager. They're in the middle of cutting ties with their "current" one. They won't take a deal or negotitate without a manager.
Reports said they're trying to link up with Tyrone Roberts manager so until that happens we'll have to keep waiting for them to re-sign.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The one thing we can do, that the Bulldogs can't, is to upgrade their 2015 contracts.
They are signed to us on pretty small contracts for 2015, and we could get mum into a new house a year earlier by upgrading now. We could then give them a bit less in the following years than the Bulldogs are offering, and the boys will actually end up in front.
In short, the Bulldogs can offer them money down the track, but our negotiators can say "sign here, and we'll have 100k in your bank account by tomorrow".
They are signed to us on pretty small contracts for 2015, and we could get mum into a new house a year earlier by upgrading now. We could then give them a bit less in the following years than the Bulldogs are offering, and the boys will actually end up in front.
In short, the Bulldogs can offer them money down the track, but our negotiators can say "sign here, and we'll have 100k in your bank account by tomorrow".
Defender1
Matthew Johns
Would imagine a house for mum would be included in our salary cap?
Grandpa Joe
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Told you mumsy ran the show for the boys. Apologies anyone for my commments over islanders being fragile.
Defender1
Matthew Johns
There's a lot of fragile 18 year old's out there that still need mum or dad to make decisions for them. Especially big ones like this.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Even football players buy a house with a loan, but an advance on contract money for 3 boys would make a decent deposit.
No need to bring that rubbish up again, I wouldn't have thought.
Defender1
Matthew Johns
No doubt they could find her a decent job or something.
Their mother worked 3 jobs raising 7 kids on her own. It's the boys choice to see what club gives them the best offer in giving back to their mother. Knights want them to stay on loyalty bulldogs needed a fullback and wingers as perret is to retire after 2015 and morris can't play fullback. That's why they wanted peter.
Defender1
Matthew Johns
Well said mate. It's awesome they want to look after their mum and family. A lot of people could learn a lesson from the Mata'utia boys about family and what's really important.
I would hope the Knights are considering more than just loyalty... There's no way we can expect them to stay if we're not offering their true 'market value'!
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Matty James
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I just hope their mother loves Newcastle otherwise we've lost our best up and coming junior and Australian player as well as solid back ups for a centre and wing spot. How often do contract situations drag on as much as it has with the Mata'utia boys? That is our luck with being the Knights. Their "current" manager is bad news and the sooner they can pick up a new one the better.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
It isn't just mum.
The article points out that they have three sisters - two of them older - and when you see the boys at games they always have a bunch of kids with them, which i suppose must belong to their sisters (or maybe the boys have partners and children, although i've not heard that).
It really looks to me that they have a big extended family, who are all settled in Newcastle.
I also heard years ago that they are related to the Wilson brothers and the Tuafua brothers, and that their mother moved to Newcastle to be near family - so basically they have a whole community of friends and relatives in Newcastle.
The doggies will need to come up with a pretty good deal to make up for that.
The article points out that they have three sisters - two of them older - and when you see the boys at games they always have a bunch of kids with them, which i suppose must belong to their sisters (or maybe the boys have partners and children, although i've not heard that).
It really looks to me that they have a big extended family, who are all settled in Newcastle.
I also heard years ago that they are related to the Wilson brothers and the Tuafua brothers, and that their mother moved to Newcastle to be near family - so basically they have a whole community of friends and relatives in Newcastle.
The doggies will need to come up with a pretty good deal to make up for that.
Well she's been in Newcastle for 15 years according to that article, so I think it's fair to assume she doesn't hate the place.