Warrior Tautai set for first game in Oz since nearly quitting

His return Down Under with the Wigan squad to face Hull FC in Wollongong this 
Saturday has given the prop a chance to reflect on his journey to Super League.

And it isn’t hard for the 29-year-old to imagine a world where he makes his living not by driving in the ball, but by driving trucks!

Tautai was Parramatta’s rookie of the year in 2008 but dropped out of 
favour after returning to the club from two years at Cronulla.

And after playing his last match in 2012, he resigned himself to a career behind the wheel. “This trip home got me thinking about it, I was speaking to my wife about the big steps we’ve taken,” he said.

“I was going to hang up my boots and drive trucks for the rest of my life.”

Then-Wakefield coach Richard Agar threw Tautai an unexpected career lifeline, and after taking the chance, his powerful displays for the Yorkshire side soon caught Shaun Wane’s eye.

“When I got to Wakefield, they had guys I knew like Paul Aiton, Justin Poore, Tim Smith... I fell in love with the game again,” he said.

“I’ve been in England over five years now, and when I told my parents I was re-signing for three more years with Wigan (last summer), they were a bit surprised, but I told them I really enjoy it here.”

Tautai will have plenty of support at Win Stadium on Saturday, with “50 or 60” members of his immediate and extended family watching him play again.

And while he appreciates the support, he admits there has been a down side.

“I was buying (replica) shirts for my brother and my dad, and now everyone has found out about it and my uncles are asking for them, too,” he smiled. “I said, ‘They’re not free you know,’ and they’re like, ‘We’ll pay you back’, and I said, ‘That’s a lie...’ - it’s going to cost a bit!”

Wigan made a dream start to their Super League campaign with a 40-12 win against Salford, and Tautai expects a step up on Saturday.

“It’s always heated, there’s some feeling there - they beat us at Wembley last year, and so I’ve not forgotten, we want to get one over on them,” he added.

“For us, it’s two points we want because we want the league leaders.”

NRL referee Matt Cecchin will take charge of Wigan’s game against Hull FC, which will be played under usual, Super League rules.

The game will be preceded by a ‘legends’ touch game.

Wigan tour ambassadors Steve Hampson and Gary Connolly will represent Super League, with ex-Warrior Mark Riddell and Australian great Wendell Sailor on the NRL side.