Broncos v Warriors: Tohu Harris’ whānau say he can lead them to NRL grand final, and they’ll be there to watch
The father of New Zealand Warriors rugby league captain Tohu Harris has been in the position before of wondering quite when to head to Australia for the NRL big one.
But, like the rest ofthe country, Paul Harris and family – one of two Hawke’s Bay whānau with particular interest in finals footie across the ditch this weekend – will be mainly watching Saturday night’s (men’s) preliminary final against the Brisbane Broncos, in Brisbane, from the comfort of their own homes.
“We’ll be doing our own thing, I think,” he said, but with the prospect that, if the Warriors win, it will be all-on to get to Sydney for the final eight days later.
And it could be the same for the family of Amelia Pasikala, from Wairoa, who is becoming a league revelation with the Sydney Roosters in the women’s NRL, playing five successive games in the starting XIII in the last few weeks.
She returned home last week for the tangi of papa Mahe Pasikala and was then named in the interchange in Sunday’s semifinal against Gold Coast Titans in Sydney.
Paul Harris says that if his son, star half Shaun Johnson and the rest of the Warriors play like they did in last Saturday’s 40-10 win over Newcastle Knights in Auckland they’ll win again, and he’ll be off to Sydney.
They’ll want to be among the 80,000 watching the final at Accor Stadium – even if the fares are more than twice as much each way as they were for a return when Tohu played in the winning Melbourne Storm team in the 2017 final.
The TAB makes the Broncos favourites, at $1.26, and the Warriors the long-shots at $3.80. There are similar odds on the women’s game, but with Pasikala’s Roosters the favourites at $1.29 and the Titans at $3.30. The target for the women is also a final in front of up to 80,000 at Accor Stadium on Sunday, October 1.
Harris and Pasikala are about as close as provincial New Zealand gets to the NRL glamour as the country goes ape over the Warriors – albeit with nine players born in Australia. They are going for a place in the grand final for a third time, having been beaten in both 2002 and 2011.
But there’s a big link to Hawke’s Bay for both the Warriors and the Broncos, the sides having played an NRL match in Napier in May, when the Warriors were welcomed at Waipatu Marae, Hastings, just as the Storm – including Tohu Harris – were when they visited Hawke’s Bay for a match against St George-Illawarra in 2015.
Paul Harris, who introduced Tohu to football playing rugby union for the Tamatea club about 25 years ago, said that, if the Warriors win this weekend, 10 or more of the whānau could be trying to get to Sydney for the final, although indications are the airfares from Napier and back could be over $1100 each way.
Tohu, 31, is one of four brothers, one being 2023 Tamatea premier rugby coach Henare, who dabbled in league for Tamatea at age-group level and premier for a season, and who has already booked the tickets for next weekend.
“I reckon they’ll do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, it’s been a big year for Pasikala, who arrived in Sydney effectively on trial in the 13-a-side game after early success at rugby union with the Hawke’s Bay Tui, including the 2022 Farah Palmer Cup championship division final win over Otago in Balclutha.
The Tui have remained in her mind this year as they continue making giant strides.
“Even though I wasn’t physically a part of the team, they weren’t too far from my thoughts,” she said. “Although I had itchy feet, I knew the team was in good hands. I was so stoked and proud of the Tui this season.”
It’s been a change of pace and resources at the Roosters and, as one of at least three Hawke’s Bay women now in the NRLW, she said: “It’s pretty surreal to have made it this far, especially being my first season in the NRLW. But that comes at the hands of being in and amongst great players and the coaching staff.”
Asked if there was any disappointment in not making the starting 13 for Sunday, she said: “Honestly, just being named in the playing 17 is an achievement in itself.
“Obviously you’d want a starting number but I love being the impact off the bench and bringing that energy when everyone’s trying to find that second wind.”
Having farewelled her papa, who passed at the age of 90, she arrived back in Sydney on Tuesday.
“Hard times, but those are what make great people,” she said. “That just gives me that extra bit of motivation heading into this weekend.”
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
