Suaia Matagi |
Born in
Auckland, New Zealand to Samoan parents, Matagi has been able to realise a
childhood dream of playing in the NRL. He debuted for the New Zealand Warriors
in 2013, played for the Sydney Roosters last year, and is now making an
impression at the Penrith Panthers. The quiet and unassuming 107kg-prop has
represented both his heritage and origin by playing for Samoa and New Zealand
respectively. One of six boys, he always wanted a big family of his own and now
has four kids with his wife, Fai. He is a self-proclaimed man of faith, and a
sharp and heedful individual who knows where he is going and what he is about.
But Matagi has
traversed a very different path. He is an example of what it truly means to
start from the bottom and climb to the top.
As a teenager,
Matagi was arrested on assault charges and sentenced to three-years jail in a
New Zealand prison. It serves as the most-defining moment in the Kiwi’s life,
overwhelmingly changing him as a man. Locked-up and with the nothing but time
to dwell on the consequences of his actions, Matagi used the period to reflect
on who he had become.
“I kept surrounding myself in the wrong crowd,
and going down this path where I thought I could do anything I wanted to do,”
he says.
“Eventually,
consequences had actions and I learnt the hard way.”
It’s a personal
history that holds a lot of emotion for the 28-year-old and a time that he
recognises took a great toll on his family. The family that were there to
support him during the difficult times, and the family that served as his
initial inspiration and motivation to change the person he was.
“I came out
really determined to take the shame away that I put my family through, and
really try and make them proud,” Matagi says.
“I wanted to
show my daughter at the time a message that I did fall down, but I was going to
pick myself back up.”
Matagi’s
personal transformation began with writing down a five-year goal that he chose
as a path of reinvention. It’s a simple process the he believes is critically
important for anyone to chase their aspirations.
“I remember
writing down my goal, my five-year goal was to play in the NRL and it was way
out of my reach,” Matagi says.
Proving that
where you start, matters less than where you take yourself, is Matagi’s modest occupation
in the early stages of his five-year plan. Beginning as a rubbish-truck
assistant, Matagi was able to use the role to build fitness while charting his
rugby league pathway. After three months hurling trash, he got a new job
working as a delivery driver for a linen-cleaning company, which proved to be a
test of both strength and commitment. Working 12-hour shifts and fitting in a
daily training schedule created a grueling
regime that tested the mental and physical fortitude of the kiwi strong man,
but the exhausting devotion proved to be an emotional test as much as it was of
the body.
“I’d come home
exhausted, I wouldn’t even see the kids. I’d leave early in the morning at
dark, and come home when it was dark,” Matagai reveals.
“I’m really
grateful that that sacrifice paid off. But there were times when I nearly gave
up, because it was draining having those 14-hour days.”
During those
tough early years, two clubs – Te Atatu Roosters and Mount Albert Lions – gave Matagi
the chance to learn his trade in the Auckland Rugby League competitions. While
Matagi admits there are too many people to thank, he values the time and effort
people gave up helping him.
“They
definitely know who they are; I’ll always be thankful and cherish those people
who invested in me during all those years,” he says.
“I’m really
thankful for the teammates as well.”
Proving his
humility again is Matagi’s stark admission that he was a complete rugby league
rookie when it came to knowing the inner nuisances of the sport.
“I learnt that
I didn’t really know the game, but I learned if you be like a sponge and just
soak up any experience you can, and anything new, you’ll learn a lot,” he says.
“Going through
those clubs, I learnt so much. I always look back to the steps that I came
through.”
The humble
beginnings aren’t lost on the kiwi-international, and the challenges and
experiences coming from oblivion, to cementing a place in an NRL squad, allow
him to provide valuable advice to many of the players in the Penrith system.
Training with the Warriors. |
Fellow Panther,
Leilani Latu, is quick to attest to Matagi’s devotion to help out those
following a similar track.
“Every day he
puts in the effort helping others, he’s the first to put his hand up to help
out,” Lani says.
“He’s an
awesome dude; an older brother to the some of the graduates and he just pours
wisdom into the young ones.”
Despite being
five-years younger than Matagi and an NRL rookie himself, Lani is able to
provide an honest and respected assessment of a player who he concisely
describes as “very wise”.
“He looks after
his family; puts the family first and his faith as well,” Lani explains.
“He’s truthful
to himself and to the boys, and that’s all you can ask for in a team
environment.
“Suaia depicts
the honesty and trust that we’re trying to build this team around.”
Clearly making
an impact both on and off the field, Matagi has been able to utilize his
background in an effort to inspire others. While playing for the Warriors in
2013, Matagi took part in a live stage show called ‘My Story’. It
involved the rather reserved man overcoming a fear of shyness to verbally
retell his story live on stage. He also had the opportunity to repeat the
two-show performance to his former Warriors’ teammates.
“I thought that
was the hardest experience I’ve been through in all my life,” Matagi ironically
explains.
“That was
definitely out of my comfort zone, but at the end of the day my motivation and
goal was; if I could give someone hope, then it was worth it.”
While the show
was designed to help others and one he hopes he can bring to western Sydney, it
allowed Matagi to grow in confidence and realize that being out of his comfort
zone helped him develop as a person.
In 2015, that
comfort zone was tested again when he moved to Australia to play with the
Sydney Roosters. Moving countries without his family would prove to be no easy
feat, but Matagi credits his wife’s support throughout the process.
“She’s been my
number one supporter,” Matagai says. “When times did get tough, she’s always
been there to pick me up; keep pushing me forward and reminding me of how far
I’ve come.”
With eight
games to his name for the Panthers in 2016 and not a hint of slowing down, just
how much further will Matagi go? For the time being, his focus remains on the
here and now. His main aim is to cement a spot in the side on a consistent
basis. No doubt a goal written down somewhere, but how will he achieve it? Just
like any other.
“What you do today,
determines your tomorrow,” he says.
A simple mantra
that can have life-changing influence.
This article also appeared on the Penrith Panthers' website. Click here to see the article & accompanying Fox Sports video.
This article also appeared on the Penrith Panthers' website. Click here to see the article & accompanying Fox Sports video.