Steve Matai

[gotsy]

Can anyone tell me Steve Matai's background. Where he came from and where he was born, stuff like that. I hadn't even heard of him 1 month ago. Was he playing for the Manly reserve grade and then moved up to first grade???
Whats the story?

 

[Dan]

I heard he was from somewhere up in QLD and got rejected in the first draft but then when we needed more centres Des asked for another look at him and snapped him up.

This may be BS or another player but I recall hearing something like that about him

 

[byso]

I thought he's from NZ....

 

[Canteen Worker]

I understood that he was a Kiwi who was playing in the QLD cup. Came to Manly to trial but was behind the current centres and Karl Johnson, Ashley Alberts etc. Saw on ME that he was living with Sgt's family.

Had some impressive form, especially in defence in lower grades and got the call up when Tezz was injured!

 

[Dan]

I knew I had heard right

 

[Blunty]

Originally from Auckland. But he was playing for the Ipswich Jets in the Qld cup, with i think Trevor Gillmeister as his coach, don't quote me on that though.

 

[PJ]

Aparently Gillmeister said he should have had another year in Queensland but he bit the bullet and came anyway.