Will Hopoate is convinced that his brother Lehi can be the best Hopoate yet, but family members are still stunned that he is playing in the NRL with his slight physique.
“He’s skinny as,” Will says of Lehi. “Me and my brothers are always laughing at him.
“We’ll be having a yarn on mum and dad’s lounge, looking at him and asking, ‘How are you playing first grade like that?’”
Lehi, 19, has been a mid-season revelation for the Sea Eagles after thinking during the off-season that he had done well to simply get a few games in reserve grade.
Despite weighing only 82 kilograms, Lehi has more than held his own against much bigger and heavier wing opponents. He will start on the wing against Cronulla at 4 Pines Park on Sunday afternoon, where victory will ensure Manly host an elimination final next weekend.
John Hopoate with sons (clockwise from top left) Albert, Lehi, Jamil and WillCredit: Nine
With Wests Tigers young gun Lachie Galvin ineligible for NRL rookie of the year, Lehi, who has scored nine tries in 11 games, isin the conversation.
Galvin was banned for two weeks for dangerous contact on Parramatta’s Kelma Tuilagi in round four.
Lehi’s infamous father, John Hopoate, was stunned that Galvin could not win the award.
“I could understand if he did what I used to do, but for a hip-drop? Lachie would have won, for sure,” Hopoate snr said.
Will, who won a premiership with Manly at the same age as Lehi, 19, and went on to play for NSW, watches Lehi closely.
Lehi and John Hopoate before his NRL debut in May.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“As an ex-player you look for certain things in a game, and, despite his frame, Lehi has an ability to still find his front with tough carries,” Will says.
“Everyone has 20 or 30kg on him, and it would be easy for him to get picked up and dragged back. But he gets his nose down and finds his front and gets the quick play-the-balls. That shows he’s ready for the physicality and contact.
“I’m just as surprised and proud with how he’s going. But he’s a kid who takes opportunities with both hands.
“I’m so happy for him. He’s got me covered in terms of skill and athleticism.
Manly Sea Eagles Lehi Hopoate try-assist.Credit: NRL
“He’s at the beginning of his career, but if he keeps his head down and focuses on himself, and doesn’t change the approach to his game, the sky’s the limit.”
John celebrates all the successes of his 11 children. However, while he loves the NRL title and representative achievements Will enjoyed, he maintains that Jamil could have been the best Hopoate of the lot if he had stayed out of trouble.
But he’s excited about Lehi’s untapped potential.
“Lehi could easily reach the same heights as Will – he could even be better given the way he’s going at the moment,” John says.
“He hasn’t put a foot wrong yet. He looks like he’s been in grade for years.
“We only spoke about it the other day, how we thought he’d play under-21s and if he went well enough, he’d play a bit of reserve grade. No way did we think he’d play first grade this year.
“He’s laid-back like Will, nothing fazes him. He actually used to drive me crazy with how laid-back he was. Sometimes it looked like he didn’t care before a game or during a game. It drove me mad. There were a couple of times Will used to sneak him into the car and take off before I could get my hands on him.”
Will adds: “Lehi should thank me for saving his life a few times – he should thank me for saving him on those occasions when he didn’t play his best.”
Lehi Hopoate warming up before a game against St George IllawarraCredit: Getty Images
John continues: “Because Lehi was a bit younger than the other boys, I’d make his brothers run at him so he could tackle, and he was never scared.”
Before he made his NRL debut in May, Lehi stood on the front lawn of the family home on the northern beaches posing for a photo for this masthead, and said he was too young to see his father play.
“There was never any video from the 1950s, so he never went viral,” said Lehi, as an unimpressed John glared at him.
When John played, he was nearly 30kg heavier than Lehi, who is expected to remain on the wing rather than revert to fullback for the injured Tom Trbojevic against Cronulla.
The standout moment for Lehi, according to Will, was the day he took a cross-field kick and then rifled a pass back infield in one motion for a Tommy Talau try against Newcastle.
But despite his stellar rise, Lehi has not let the success go to his head. He still returns home after most games at Brookie and celebrates by playing PS5 with his friends. He’s the best of the Hopoate’s at that, too.
Why Brooks thanks Tigers fans
Manly five-eighth Luke Brooks is bound for his first NRL finals campaign in 12 seasons – and thanks the hostile reception he received from Wests Tigers fans a few weeks ago for helping him prepare for the pressure-cooker finals’ environment.
Brooks spent 11 seasons without a September cameo at the Tigers, and was never going to get much love at Leichhardt when he ran out with the Sea Eagles.
The playmaker knew it was never going to be pleasant, but also under-estimated how much he had been thinking about that fixture.
“I thought I was alright all week, as we were driving to the ground I was nervous – probably the most nervous I’ve been for a while – it was a different experience, but it came at the right time for me with some big games coming up,” Brooks said.