NRL: On the Matty Johns podcast, Cooper Cronk and Matty Johns dissect the blockbuster Grand Final showdown between the Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm.
for a high shot on Lindsay Collins a few days out from the grand final : door slammed close. Six-game rookie Lazarus Vaalepu named on Melbourne’s bench in NAS’ place: door opened.Here is a man born in Penrith who via Queanbeyan , Canberra and the Sunshine Coast now has a chance to help end this dynastic Panthers side’s NRL reign at the club that kickstarted it: Melbourne.
“I was training my ass off and then coach put me as 18th man in the second last round. Then I played the last round,” he explained.A year later he once again made Canberra’s SG Ball squad, alongside Harley Smith-Shields, but he suffered a dislocated shoulder that required surgery, derailing his early career and breeding doubts about his ability to make it.
This is the story of a kid born at the foot of the mountains in Penrith, who played rugby union until the age of 12, moved down to Queanbeyan with his family and trialled for Canberra’s Harold Matthews side as a centre. A kid who felt his dream “getting close but at the same time was far,” who received a firm, supportive push from his brother to “leep working. Your time will come.”Source: Getty ImagesThat wretched first year of the pandemic, where the dreams and hopes of many were dashed, saw Lazarus return to Canberra, to park footy to “try and enjoy footy and get back into it.”
Vaalepu played the first two games of the season, before only being selected twice more that season, which Wynnum finished runners up in - a grand final made famous by Selwyn Cobbo’s performance. In 2023, Henderson explained that despite the Storm gun’s short Q Cup career at the time he’d seen enough to offer him a lifeline.2022 was in many ways make or break for Vaalepu, who admitted to the TWY Podcast that he would avoid returning to Canberra for longer than two days to avoid homesickness. “I was going to training knowing I was the most overweight there. The fitness side was my only let down,” he explained.
It means someone from the Storm will always have an eye on the club’s performance, and players, keeping the likes of Vaalepu in the shop window, waiting for someone from Craig Bellamy’s side to take notice.“I had a pretty good season just chilling at home and I got a text message from my manager saying I was going to get a pre-season with the Storm,” he said.As everyone knows, Melbourne’s pre-seasons are notoriously hard. Real hard.
“There’s been plenty of milestones for me in the past couple of years and it is very special to see all of the little things adding up here and there.”
Munster & Martinnrl Blake Wilson Terry Campese Real Dynamic Way Lazarus Vaalepu Jahrome Hughes Melbourne Storm Rugby League Stars Dazzle St Kilda North America James Hooper Brisbane Queanbeyan Liam Martin Grand Final Star Grand Final Grand Final Player Remarkable Rise Wake Ups Dally M Teams Victoria Win Leaves Josh King Text Message Family Dream Grand Final Hero Northern America Fitness Side Daily Telegraph Single File Line Kilogram Wrecking Tensions Build Doubt Thinking Christian Welch Canberra Sebastian Kris Finals Game Virginia Sydney Train Ride Richmond Queensland Cup Penrith Panthers Lindsay Smith North Queensland Cowboys New South Wales Daniel Atkinson United States Of America Patrice Siolo David Riccio Grand Final Record Craig Bellamy Oceania Bench Middles Shop Window Family Goal Thank Yous Blake Taaffe Door Closes Season Development America Kyle Robbins Grant Anderson Nick Meaney Storm Teammates Train Home Getty Images Inc. Fox League Australia And New Zealand Ian Hitchcock Tui Kamikamica Park Footy Penrith Grand Final Loss Train-And-Trial Contract Aaron Woods Storm Talent Lazarus Cameron Munster Work Day Cooper Cronk Jack Howarth Australian Capital Territory Australia Queensland
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