The New Zealand town of Tahāroa basked in the temporary glory of being the rugby league capital of the world as Te Maire Martin and Taine Tuaupiki starred in a Warriors victory.
"A place this small having two NRL players in the same team? It doesn’t happen," Brendon King, the owner of the pub in neighbouring Kawhia tells NRL.com.
Even when both players moved to Australia in pursuit of their NRL dream years ago, the Tahāroa connection was vitally important, with Te Maire making a home away from home in Sydney with a shared uncle and aunty on the Tuaupiki side. The town is built on the mining business and prior to ironsand exploration starting in 1968 the town didn't even have road access.
Not all of the players reside in Tahāroa or anywhere near the town for that matter, with many travelling up to an hour from neighbouring districts in order to represent the Steelers.Playing for the people you grew up with, your brothers, for the place you actually come from. To represent your hometown is mean.The geographical makeup of the squad, and the fact that they almost all work at the mine, makes organising the season a nightmare.
The return of a recent Kiwi international and NRL player to the club scene was obviously big news, and Martin carried a huge target with him each time he took the field, with plenty keen to get one over him.
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